Control Freak
by i'mnotcrazy82
Summary: Drifting from past to present, this is my version of how they met, and how events of the past have shaped the present. NOW COMPLETE! Huddy. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N**_

_**So, I've hit a serious case of writer's block on my other story. I started to write this one, to keep my creative juices flowing, and it's really coming together nicely.**_

_**I'm exploring their past, but I will have a story set in the present (roughly, after Birthmarks). I'll be flipping back and forth between the past and the present, but they won't be sharing the same chapter, and I'll always let you know what the chapter is set in.**_

_**Thank you, and enjoy!**_

_**I don't own House, Cuddy, or any other aspect of House**_

January, 1985

She first noticed him in the library. He was sitting in one of the comfy lounge chairs, and he had his long legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans that had the knees ripped out of them, scuffed sneakers, and a worn Rolling Stones concert t-shirt. His brown hair was longish, falling just past his ears in a shaggy cut, and he had a designer 5 o'clock shadow. While it looked like he was reading an anatomy textbook, she felt his eyes on her. She had come to the library to study, but she wound up wondering who he was.

It was the first day of second semester classes, and she had wanted to get a jump start on her studies. She was a straight A student in high school, and she had been Valedictorian of her class. Since she was 12, she had wanted to be a doctor. She had an appendectomy, and she had been fascinated by the medical process. Her parents, a school teacher and a lawyer, had encouraged her to pursue whatever career interested her, but they wanted her to be the best at it. That was fine with her, because she wanted to be the best. In her first semester at Michigan, she had received a 4.0 GPA, but that didn't please her. She had to be the best, and she lived for a challenge.

She sat alone at a table, and she spread her textbooks in front of her. She pulled out her syllabus for her biology class, and she began to highlight dates. She wrote down the exam dates in her date book, and blocked out the project dates. She flipped through her lab book, looking at the interesting labs that they would be doing. She liked science. If she hadn't wanted to become a doctor, biologist or chemist wouldn't be far down on the list.

She became so engrossed in her work, that she didn't notice when he came over to her. "You're a control freak." When she heard his voice, she nearly jumped out of her skin. She looked up, and there he was, sitting across from her. His elbows rested on the table, and he had steepled his fingertips together, lightly resting his chin on them. He had an angular, long face, with a nose that looked like it had been broken at least once. His bright blue eyes bored into hers with an intensity that made her want to look away.

She swallowed, suddenly finding her mouth dry. "What did you say?" She dropped her gaze back down to her books, not wanting to look into that gaze anymore.

"You're a control freak," he repeated, as if she was an idiot. He looked at her books. "Anatomy, Chemistry, Biology, Physics. You're in Pre-med, freshman. If you're going to study medicine, you can't be a control freak."

"Says who?" she retorted, starting to feel annoyed. "I think being a control freak will be a good thing. I'll be able to..."

"You won't be able to do anything." He cut her off. "Something out of your control will happen, and you'll rabbit. You'll lock yourself in your office and cry."

She glared at him. "Who in the hell do you think you are?" she snarled. This man had just insulted her ability, without warning. She felt her anger start to rise, and she sat up a little straighter. She was prepared to defend herself against this scruffy punk. He was probably some philosophy student trying to get a reaction out of her, but she was still irritated by him.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Greg House," he said, sounding bored. He tilted his head, and he watched her reaction. "You may make a suck ass doctor, but you'll make one hell of an administrator," he commented mildly.

"Well, thank you, Greg House," she answered him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "It was wonderful to hear your assessment of my skills, but I really have to get back to work."

"What work," he sat back in the hard wooden chair, and he interlaced his fingers behind his head. He grinned at her. "It's the first day of classes, we don't have any work yet."

"Maybe you Liberal Arts majors don't, but we science majors already have pre labs to work on," she said haughtily. He raised his eyebrows at her, and a small grin began to form on his lips, but he didn't say anything. "Now," she continued, "go smoke up, or whatever you philosophy students do for fun. I have work to do."

He didn't take the hint. He just sat there, staring at her. It was unnerving. She decided to ignore him. She lowered her head, and she tried to focus on her work. She sat there, working on her physics assignment. It wasn't due until that Friday, but she liked to get things done ahead of time. Besides, she planned on having questions about it during the Wednesday class.

"You got that one wrong." His voice rumbled, shocking her out of her thoughts. She jerked her head back up, and noticed that forty-five minutes had passed since she had stopped talking to him. She couldn't believe he was still there. He grinned at her, but he didn't say anything. He wanted to see how she reacted to him. He was discovering that he liked pushing her buttons. It was fun.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" she glared at him.

"Plenty, but I'd rather be here. Your top gives me a great view of your fun-bags," he leered at her, but his blue eyes twinkled with mischievousness. "I feel after the free show, you should at least tell me your name." He winked at her.

She was horrified. She wanted to pack up her things right then and leave, but she didn't want to give this asshole the satisfaction of running her off. "Miss Lisa Cuddy," she said, tersely. She glanced down, and she realized that her top didn't show off anything. She looked at him in confusion, and he grinned at her. "Made ya look, now didn't I."

"You're an ass."

"So I've been told, Lisa Cuddy," he drew out her name. "You still got that wrong." He took a pen from her bag, and began to scribble something on a scrap piece of paper. Then he flipped it over, so she couldn't see it, and once again, he stared into her cool blue-gray eyes. "Try again."

They played this game for the next four hours. She would work on her homework, and he would watch, correcting her, sometimes harshly. They would banter back and forth, trading praises cleverly hidden behind insults. It was easy, and they both enjoyed it. The scruffy man made her smile, even laugh, behind her glares. His arrogance and intelligence irritated her, but she enjoyed his challenges. It was like he wanted her to be the best she could be.

Sadly, it all had to come to an end, and she needed to return to her dorm room. She began to pack her things, and she saw the light go out of his eyes. "Um," she began, awkwardly, "I guess I'll see you around."

He nodded, but didn't say anything. She turned around to reach for her coat, and when she turned back toward him, she found that he was gone. That made her sad. She bit her lip, and she slung her backpack over one shoulder. She found herself wondering if she would ever see him again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(the next day...)

As soon as the previous class let out, she walked into the lecture hall. She walked up to the front of the classroom, and took a seat where she would be able to see the professor clearly. The other students began to file in, and the seats in the back filled up quickly. She pulled out her notebook and a pen from her book bag. It was her first anatomy lecture, and she was looking forward to it. She didn't notice as the seats around her began to fill in.

"Bet you even color code your class notes," a voice drawled to her right. "I'm thinkin', red for anatomy, yellow for chemistry, green for..." She looked up, and she saw him sitting there, a goofy half-grin on his face.

"Why are you here?" she asked stiffly, rolling her eyes. "And why do you care if I color code my notes, it helps me..."

"It proves to me that you are a control freak," he said, cutting off her argument. He saw her steel colored eyes fill with anger, and for some strange reason, that turned him on. He'd never met a girl so fierce and so smart. She defended herself, and he wanted her to defend herself. He shifted his posture, cupping his chin in his hand, and he leaned his elbow on the desk top. His hair fell into his eyes, making him blink.

She shot him an annoyed look. "Why are you here, beside me. There are easily a..."

"I'm a student, and you're incredibly cute," he could almost laugh at the indignant look she got on her face at that comment. "Why wouldn't I want to sit next to someone gifted with such a sexy..." he let his eyes drift to her chest, then back up to her eyes, "brain."

She was shocked. "You're a pig!" Then she narrowed her eyes, "you're just screwing with me."

"I'd like to," he grinned. She may be acting irritated, but she was playing his game. That intrigued him even more. She met his eyes, and she saw how bright they were. She smiled at him. He was still wearing faded jeans and sneakers, but he wore a button up shirt over his t-shirt. It was his feeble effort to be quasi-professional.

She leaned over and whispered, "Keep dreaming, because that's the only way it'll happen." She sat back in her seat, enjoying the shocked grin that was plastered on his face. She was shocked herself. She wasn't a flirt. In fact, she had never been a flirt, but here she was, flirting with this guy she barely knew. She could kick herself; she hated girls who constantly flirted with guys, but this guy brought a side of her out that she didn't know existed.

He winked at her, but before he had a chance to say anything more, the professor walked to the front of the hall. He sat back in his chair, and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw her sit straight up. He smiled to himself; she was such a teacher's pet.

The professor walked to the front of the class, and he arraigned his notes. He glanced at the clock, then he turned and faced the class. It was time to begin.

"I'm Dr. Martin, and welcome to Anatomy 201. My teaching assistants, Mr. Micheal Carter and Mr. Gregory House will hand out the course syllabus..."

She stared in shock as the scruffy man got up, and he accepted a pile of papers from the professor. She got a good look of the other T.A., Mr. Carter. He was tall, with close cropped blond hair. He wore neatly pressed slacks and a pressed collared shirt, with a tie. Just about every female eye in the room was glued to him, but her eyes kept drifting back to Greg. There was just something about him that drew her to him, and she didn't like the disdainful look that the other T.A. gave him.

After he passed out the papers to half the room, he slid gracefully back into his seat, and he raised his eyebrow at her. When she didn't pay any attention to him, he frowned, and he turned his attention to what the professor was saying. He soon grew bored, and he noticed that her syllabus was hanging out of her backpack, so he feigned digging a notebook out his own knapsack. In the process, he took her syllabus, and he left a little note on it. He put it back in her bag, by again, feigning looking for something in his own bag.

She couldn't believe that he was a T.A. He must have been a med student, since Professor Martin only took med students on as T.A.'s. She wanted to ask him about it, but the lecture began immediately after the course papers were handed out. She became so focused on what was being said, that she failed to notice him going through her things.

As the class ended, she took a few moments to organize her notes, then she turned to him. She had wanted to ask him why he hadn't told her he was a med student, but she found that once again, he had disappeared. She sighed in frustration, and she began to pack up her books.

She didn't notice the other T.A. walk up. He cleared his throat, causing her to look up. "Hello," he smiled, showing off his brilliantly white teeth. "I'm Micheal Carter. I noticed you were paying close attention to Dr. Martin's lecture. Are you a biology student?"

"No," she answered him, a little unsure at what he wanted. "Pre-Med."

"Good. I just wanted you to know that my office hours are posted on the course syllabus. You strike me as the type of student who would want some extra help."

"Um, thanks." She was starting to become uncomfortable with his overt friendliness. "I'll remember that."

He nodded, then looked at her. In a hushed voice, he whispered to her "I saw you talking with Greg House. You'll be smart to stay away from him. He's trouble." With that, he turned and walked out of the room.

She was insulted by the way that he had warned her about Greg. She sneered at him as he left the room, thinking that she had never met such a pompous ass. She shook her head, and she had a bitter taste in her mouth. She instantly didn't like the guy at all.

She was finishing putting her stuff in her bag, and she noticed the course paper was folded and sticking out of pocket of her bag. She hadn't left in it that particular pocket nor had she folded it. She walked out into the hall, and she opened it. She laughed out loud, drawing looks from students milling by. He had written the word "tool" by Michael Carter's name, and he had outlined his own name and office hours with bold red lines. Underneath them, he had written, "Free study sessions with the Master, and I'll only try to get in your pants if you let me."

She chuckled at his overwhelming ego. She folded the paper back up, and put it back in her bag. She walked to her her next class, wondering if she should take him up on his offer.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N**_

_**Thank you to those who reviewed this story. If you haven't, reviews are like crack to us authors, we just can't get enough!! It's a great way of telling us how we're doing!**_

_**Thank you for reading! I hope you like this. We're jumping to the present this chapter, just forewarning you. I'm going to try to make the jump from past to present as smooth as possible.**_

_**----------------------------------------------------**_

October 2008

"I need to do a brain biopsy!"

She shot him a glare from across the desk, and she spoke into the phone, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Baker. I understand that you..."

"I said, 'I NEED to DO a BRAIN BIOPSY," he cried in a sing-song voice. He tilted his head to one side, a sly half smile forming on his face.

"Mrs Baker, I'm sorry, but I will call you right back," She hung up the phone, muttering in a low tone, "As soon as I kill a certain doctor." She turned to him, resting her elbow on the surface of the desk. She cupped her face in her hand, "What do you want, House?"

"I want to do a brain biopsy," he twirled his cane in his fingers in a nonchalant way. "You gonna let me do it?"

"After the stunt you just pulled?" She sat up, and she motioned him to give her the file.

"I accomplished my task," he said, proudly.

"Mrs. Baker is an important donor to this hospital, and one of the few that donate to YOUR department." She flipped through the file, "Why does this patient need a biopsy. If you're just doing this to screw with me again..."

"I love _screwing_ you," he put extra emphasis on the word. "I saw a lesion, and I think it may be cancer," he shrugged.

"You THINK? House, you don't think. You know." She handed the file back to him. "I can't let you do it."

"But, if we don't do this, he might die!"

"And if you DO do this, he might end up a vegetable, and I'm sure the law firm that he heads will be oh so happy to have a brain damaged lawyer," she snarked back. "Either find something else wrong, or find a better excuse than 'I think.' Get Wilson to consult. He should know if it's brain cancer or not."

"You're no fun," he pouted.

"Deal with it," she picked up the phone again, but he limped to the desk.

He sniffed the air. "Are you wearing perfume?" he asked, his eyes widening.

"I...I always wear perfume," she was caught off guard by his comment.

"No, you usually smell like the vanilla body wash you use," he said matter-of-factly. She wasn't shocked that he noticed. Actually, there wasn't much that didn't surprise her about him. She chose to ignore him, and she flipped through her donor phone numbers.

"I'm so glad you pay attention to how I smell every day," she rolled her eyes, a little unnerved.

"You're not carrying your usual purse, either, and that dress is completely inappropriate for the office. I like it!" He winked at her, but, in his mind, he was putting the puzzle pieces together. "And you're wearing more make-up than usual. You look like a cheap hooker." He frowned, then his eyes widened, and she saw that they were filled with hurt for a split second. Then they hardened into his usual cool stare. "You have a date," he declared.

"No, I don't," she said a little too quickly. She saw his eyes light up with mischief, and she groaned to herself.

"Who's the lucky man," he grinned.

"There's no one, House, and if you follow me, I will make sure that there will be photos of you helping little old ladies crossing the street posted around the hospital." She raised her eyebrows at him, daring him to say something else.

"Ah, someone learned to Photoshop."

"Yes. I felt inspired after someone e-mailed the entire Board pictures of my face pasted over a naked female body. Care to explain that?"

He was actually proud of that prank. He hadn't really appreciated the aftermath, though. Cuddy had stormed into his office, explaining to him, in very explicit terms, that if anything like that would happen again, leg pain would be the least of his worries. "No one would believe it. Now, you naked on a motorcycle, that they would believe."

She sighed in frustration, rubbing her temples. She was getting a headache. "Go take care of your patient. Or go hide in the Clinic. As long as you're not here, I don't care."

"As you wish, mistress," he turned to leave.

"And House," he paused, as she came from around her desk. She walked up to him, and she smirked. "If I do catch you following me, you won't have to worry about Clinic duty." She left the implied threat unsaid. He stared at her for a second, and when he saw the anger roiling behind her steel glare, he smiled to himself. After all these years, her angry bantering still turned him on.

She walked him out the door, and immediately regretted it. He took the opportunity to look down her dress. She sighed again, and she closed her eyes, waiting for his parting remark. He always had to get the last word.

"I hope he likes desperate administrative need, but the hooker look should at least get your rotundas ass in his bed." He limped down the hall before she could react, wondering how he could follow her without her knowing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours later, She walked into the crowded restaurant. She paused, looking around. She couldn't believe she let her sister set her up on a blind date. She didn't really get along with her sister that well, but maybe it was time to mend fences. Maybe her mother was right, and she needed to get out more. She didn't really feel like playing the dating game again, but here she was. Good thing the restaurant had a well-stocked bar.

"Lisa?" A rich male voice questioned.

She turned toward the sound, and saw a tall, good looking, blond-haired man walking toward her. A little voice in the back of her mind kept telling her that she knew him, but from where? As he came closer, she racked her brain for who it could be.

He stared at her for a second, then he smiled a brilliant smile. "Lisa Cuddy? My God, it's been nearly twenty years? How have you been?" He pulled her into an embrace.

She blinked a few times before realization dawned on her. "Michael Carter?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N**_

_**To those who are still reading...Thank You! I'm really enjoying writing this, and I hope you all still enjoy reading!**_

_**For this next chapter, we return to 1985! I hope you like it. I hope the flipping back and forth between times isn't confusing!**_

_**As always, reviews are appreciated!**_

_********************************************************************_

January, 1985

She was sitting at the desk in her dorm room. It was Friday, and the first week of spring semester classes was drawing to a close. She had her calculus book open, and she was working on Monday's assignment. She was trying hard to ignore the loud shouts coming from the hallway.

Her roommate, Kim, came bursting through the door, her face red. "Lise, you've gotta come and join us! We're going over to the frat. Jessica says she knows some of the brothers, and she can get us in! Come on!" Kim tugged at her arm, trying to get her out of her seat. "You can't be a bookworm forever! Have fun with us!"

She looked up from her homework, torn. She had to admit, going to a party sounded like fun, but she was also taking a full course load of classes. And they weren't easy classes, either. She'd also heard some pretty negative stories about some of the guys at that frat, and that gave her cause for concern. But, she rationalized, she would be going with her friends, and surely they would look out for her. She debated with herself for a few more moments, and then she put her pencil down and grabbed her coat. "Okay," she sighed, apprehension building in her stomach. "Let's go."

About a half hour later, the three girls made their way to the house. It was an off campus frat, but it was close enough that they could walk there. There was a few inches of snow on the ground, and it was cold, as it usually was in Michigan in January. They arrived, their faces red, and they were cold, despite the layers that they had wore. Jessica, the girl with the contacts walked confidently up to the door. A big, burly guy with short dark hair stared her down. "You ladies on the list?" he asked in a thick Brooklyn accent.

"Joey told me I could come," she told him. She handed him a flier. "And he told me to bring some friends, Doug."

Doug frowned and narrowed his small dark eyes, but he looked over the flier. "Wait here," he told them, and he disappeared inside the house.

Lisa was freezing, and she couldn't believe the nerve of that guy, to leave them out in the cold. She wished he would at least have let them wait in the foyer of the house. She shivered, despite the heavy wool coat she wore over a red turtle neck sweater and jeans. She also wore thick boots. "Are you guys sure that we're invited," she asked her friends through chattering teeth.

Jessica's smile never wavered. "Of course! Doug's just trying to string us along. Joey told me he likes to pick on the freshman girls."

Lisa nodded, but the queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach didn't ease up. She told herself to relax. After all, Kim and Jessica didn't seem too worried.

Kim turned to Jessica and asked, "is there really gonna be a live band here?"

The other girl nodded, "some kind of cover band. I heard their guitarist is REALLY good, though. They play mostly rock and blues."

"Any Micheal Jackson?" Kim asked, "or Madonna?"

"No, more like Journey, or Blue Oyster Cult," Jessica answered.

"Oh, that's nice," Kim quickly lost interest. If it wasn't on Top-40 radio, she wasn't interested.

Just then, the burly door man came back. "Joey says you girls are alright. Just gotta stamp yer hands. The party's downstairs."

The girls held out their right hands, and Doug stamped them. It was just a formality; everyone knew that once they were inside, they could drink all the alcohol they wanted. Once inside, they made their way down to the basement. There they met Joey, who directed them where the keg was. There was a small stage in the far back of the room, and the place was already packed. Jessica quickly left Kim and Lisa alone, choosing to follow Joey around like a puppy. Kim soon struck up a conversation with one of the other brothers, and she, too, left Lisa alone, standing in the back of the room.

"You know, you shouldn't be alone at a party like this," a voice purred into her ear. She jumped, and quickly turned around, trying to find who said that. Her posture relaxed, and she saw Greg standing next to her, carrying a guitar case.

"I didn't come alone," she began.

"Yeah, I saw the two frat mattresses that you came with," he said, shrugging.

She was a little insulted, "how can you call them..."

"They ditched you as soon as they hooked up with their flavor of the week," his eyes burned into hers. "And if something happens to you tonight, do you really think they'll care? Or will they only care after the fact?"

"And you do?"

He shrugged, "can't have my intellectual sparring partner get hurt." He gave her a small half-smile. "Look, I'm in the band. Stay close to the stage, and I'll keep an eye on you. Even walk you home, if your friends decide getting laid is more important than your safety."

She actually sighed in relief. That had been her biggest worry, walking home alone. "You play guitar?" she asked, intrigued. This must be good guitar player that Jessica had told her about.

He nodded. "When I was a kid, my mom taught piano classes, and she insisted that I learn. Guitars are a lot more portable, and much cooler," he grinned at her. "So I learned how to play it, too. Comes in handy for picking up chicks," he wiggled his eyebrows at her, causing her to giggle nervously.

He picked up on her apprehension. "We're gonna play three thirty minute sets, with a ten minute break in between sets. I'll find you during the breaks. Don't drink anything anyone else gets you, okay." He brushed her cheek with his thumb. "I don't want anything to happen to you. If you feel uncomfortable, catch my eye. I've got some friends here. We'll protect you."

She was surprised at his show of chivalry. "I'll be okay."

He nodded, "Yeah, I know."

A young man with very long blond hair, tattered jeans, and a Who t-shirt, ran up to him, "sorry to interrupt your pick-up session, G-man," he grinned, "but we're getting ready to start."

Greg nodded, "Gimme a sec, okay, Alec." The other man nodded, and he returned to the stage.

He turned to her, and he smiled. "I'll see you after the show."

"I don't need your protection," she insisted firmly, but secretly she was comforted by his concern, though she thought he was trying to hide it through his flirting.

He just looked at her for a long moment, and he nodded. He left her alone, walking to the stage. Once he was out of her earshot, he murmured, "yeah, you do."

She made her way to the right side of the stage. She hoped that it was a good spot for him to keep an eye on her. The sick feeling in her stomach that had been building was starting to fade away. She did feel a little better, since she knew that he was watching out for her.

He stepped on the stage, which was about two feet off the ground. It was poorly constructed, as many of the fraternity basement stages they had played on were. He sighed, and then he look out of the corner of his eye. When he saw her standing near the edge of the stage, his heart skipped a few beats. He grinned at her, and he nodded.

The band started their first set, and she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. Alec, the blond with hair that nearly reached the small of his back, stepped up to the microphone, and he began to sing. Every girl in the room swooned at his rich voice, but her attention was held by the tall man strumming the guitar. The band played a variety of songs and styles, but she could tell that he was bored. He'd roll his eyes occasionally, or he would sigh.

After the set finished, the band left the stage to go grab something to drink, or just to cool down. She was still a little tense, but she was starting to have fun. She scanned the crowd, looking for him.

"Miss me?" his voice whispered into her ear. She smiled as she felt his hand on the small of her back.

"Trying to cop a feel?" she whispered back, and she turned to peer into those bright blue eyes.

"Hard to miss that ass," he grinned at her, winking. "Here," he pushed a cup into her hands. "It'll help with your nerves."

"How did you..."

"You've been chewing on your bottom lip since you got here," he answered. "And you've turned your head so many times, I'm scared you're gonna give yourself whiplash. And you're shivering, but it's close to a hundred degrees in here."

She laughed, "You're amazing, you know that."

He grinned, "Yeah, it's one of my better qualities. Drink this slowly, and no, I didn't drug it." He leaned in so his lips brushed her ear, causing a chill to shoot up her spine, "I don't need drugs to get into your pants," he whispered in a low tone.

She smiled at his arrogance, "No, you don't need drugs; you need a miracle from God." She sipped from the cup, making a face at the taste of cheap beer. "Now, you better get on stage. Your band members are getting ready to start without you."

"If that's what it takes, I may have to start believing in god," he winked at her, and he lazily made his way to the stage. He picked up his guitar, and they began to play.

By the start of the last set, she was completely relaxed, and she was having fun. She had a few more cups of beer, but she watched herself. It wasn't her first experience with alcohol; her parents had often let her and her sister drink wine at holidays. She cheered with the crowd, and she found herself smiling every time his eyes drifted her way. He seemed a lot less bored, and he was playing with a lot more flair.

Near the end of the set, she felt a large hand rest on her shoulder. She jumped, and there was the big guy that had stopped them at the door. "You're cute," he grunted, "we should dance."

She took a step back. "No, I'm...I'm dating a member of the band," She said the first thing that came into her mind. She knew it was a lie, but she hoped this gorilla would believe it."

"Huh-uh. I remember you," he leered. "You came with Joey's chick, and he said that you were available. C'mon, I'll show you a good time." He grabbed her by the arm, and he tugged her toward him.

She tried to catch Greg's eyes, but there really wasn't much he could do. She saw his eyes grow wide, and they hardened. She saw something very dark flash behind them. During the solo, he walked up to Alec, and he nodded toward her.

She didn't have to wait for him, though. At that moment, a hand darted out, and it shook the guy by the shoulder. "She doesn't want to dance, so leave her alone," a familiar voice said firmly.

The guy turned around, "Who're you," he growled.

Her eyes widened. It was Michael who had come to her rescue. "Just a friend of hers."

Doug narrowed his small eyes, trying to figure out if this guy was for real. Finally he shrugged, and he lumbered off.

She inhaled deeply, trying to calm her racing heart. "Hey," he said to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just...just a little shaken up," she rubbed her arm where the gorilla had grabbed her.

"Are you here by yourself?" he asked. Then, without waiting for an answer, he told her, "let's get your coat. I'll give you a ride home." He put his arm around her waist and he steered her toward the exit.

She left with him, but before they exited, she turned around and saw Greg standing on the stage. It took every effort of her will not to run to him, because she saw the deep hurt and longing that was reflected in his bright eyes. That emotion took a split second to harden into anger and betrayal, making her feel even worse for it. She turned away quickly, not wanting him to see the guilt in her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**

**Thank you all for still reading this!**

**We're back to the future with this chapter...**

*******************************************************************

October, 2008

"Michael," she asked, amazed. "It's been a very long time! What are you doing here?"

He laughed, "Getting something to eat. I just moved here, and after spending the day unpacking, I didn't feel like cooking." He relaxed his embrace, "You look just as beautiful as you did in Michigan."

She blushed, something she didn't do easily. "Thank you." she smiled at him.

"Are you meeting someone here? I don't mean to be nosy; I was just wondering if you could join me. It would be nice not to eat alone."

"Well...," she wondered what to say. "I was supposed to be on a blind date, but catching up with an old friend sounds like a much better idea."

"Blind date? You mean you're not married yet?" he looked stunned. When he saw the indigent look on her face, he rushed to explain, "I just meant, that as beautiful, talented, and intelligent as you are, I would have figured you would have guys tripping over themselves for you." He shrugged, "that, and I always thought you and Greg House were destined to be together."

She was shocked at his words, but she was focused on his last line, "All Greg House is destined to be is the biggest pain in my ass." She had to smile at the confused look he had on his face, "Let's grab a table. I'm starving, and the food here is very good."

He nodded, and he offered her his arm. She had to smile; sometimes it felt good to be around a true gentleman. She just hoped that a certain limping twerp wouldn't go and ruin their evening, but the nervous feeling she was starting to feel in the pit of her stomach told her otherwise.

--------------------------------------------------------

He limped into the restaurant, and he scanned the tables. He'd hacked into her date book (oh why didn't she change her password), and this was the place that she had typed in the entry blank. His grip tightened on the handle of his cane, and a deep feeling began to burn in his chest. It couldn't be jealousy; he didn't care about her. Or so he told himself, as he spotted her. He worked up his best scowl, and he made his way over to her.

She was having a good time, reminiscing about her days at Michigan. She hadn't really kept up with anyone from those days, and this was a pleasant experience. She laughed as he recounted how another girl in their anatomy class had not known the difference between clavicle and cervical on an exam. "You know," he grinned, "I ran into her at a conference a few years ago, and now she's an OB." He sipped from his wine glass. "So, what are you up to?"

Before she could answer, a rough voice grumbled, "She's assigning parking spots and vetoing my treatment decisions." She closed her eyes, and she counted to ten under her breath. She should have known that he'd find her. One day, she was going to ask him if he had planted a homing beacon somewhere on her.

Micheal, however, took his appearance in stride. "Greg!" he smiled, offering the tall, gaunt man his hand. "It's been a long time!" His brown eyes flickered to the cane, then back up to his eyes. Ina softer tone, he said, "I heard about your leg..."

"Yeah, pulled a hammy playing fantasy football." he interjected, quickly. "Coach told me to walk it off." His blue eyes burned into hers, and she swore she knew what he was thinking. It involved the words jackass and loser. "I need to do that biopsy. Patient got worse." He thrust the file toward her.

She took the file, and she shot him a death glare. To Michael, she explained, "I'm the Dean of Medicine at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. House," she shot him another bitter look, "is the head of my diagnostics department. I'm his boss."

"So she thinks, but she wears such tight clothes that most of the male employees have formed pools on whether or not the girls are going to pop out of her top." He shrugged, "Kinda hard to respect someone because of that.

She sighed deeply, but she actually wasn't really embarrassed. He'd done far worse to her at other points in time. She scanned the file, and she realized that he was right. "Okay, have Foreman do the biopsy."

"But, mo-om!" he complained loudly, drawing stares from the other diners.

"No buts." she warmed to his game. "Foreman's the neurologist, you're just a lowly infectious disease man." Her silent look to him conveyed the fact that they would be discussing this in the morning. "Now, get out of here, and treat your patient."

He nodded slowly, then he leaned over to whisper something in her ear. Very loudly, he observed, "At least his toupee looks real! Not like the last guy! He looked like he had a dead rat on his scalp!" Then he limped quickly away, hoping she wasn't going to throw something at him.

She buried her face in her hands, and Micheal laughed. "He really hasn't changed much, has he." She jerked her head up, surprised. "And, my hair is real."

She shook her head, "look, I am SO sorry, I..."

"Knew that he was going to act like that? It's really not a problem, he's always been jealous of any man that has shown interest in you? Remember how he was at Michigan?"

He had a point, and she was a little relieved, "Thank you, for understanding. Most people...don't."

He reached across the table and he took her small hand in his. "I understand this is a combo deal. I'll gain a friend and an insanely jealous stalker. I just hope he doesn't slash my tires," he grinned at her. "So, what are you doing Saturday night?"


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N**_

_**Thanks for everyone who's reading and reviewing! You're comments spur me on! Here's the next chapter. We're back to the past for this one. I hope you all like it!**_

**********************************************

January 1985

It was late Monday afternoon, and she had come to the library for a bit of solace. She was still thinking about what had occurred over the weekend, and she was hoping that he would show up. She wanted to apologize to him, to let him know that she felt bad for leaving him like that.

She pulled open her Anatomy book and she began to read, highlighting the paragraphs she thought was important. She began to be distracted, however, and every so often, she would glance up, hoping to find those bottomless blue eyes staring back at her. Her stomach dropped with disappointment, and she could kick herself for not leaving with him. When, she closed her eyes, she could still see the hurt and anger in his.

She clenched her teeth, and she sighed. She needed to get over that. After all, she had only known him for a week, and besides, he was her T.A. She had no right having feelings for him. She DIDN'T have feelings for him. If she kept telling herself that, maybe one time she'd finally believe it.

She worked in the library until nearly midnight. Finally, resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to show up, she began to pack up her things. She couldn't help thinking that she was being watched, and she swore that she had felt his presence all evening long. Shaking her head, she told herself that it was just guilt and nervous.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

He watched her from the periodical section of the library. His pride was still wounded from the previous Friday night, but he told himself that it was all for the best. He was notoriously bad in relationships, and while he was at Hopkins, he had a reputation for being a love 'em and leave 'em type of guy.

But he had never met anyone like her. He sat there, watching her, his Baltimore Orioles baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. Part of him wanted to walk over to her, to tell her that everything was fine, but he knew there was no way he could do that. He sucked at telling people useless platitudes. If he didn't believe it, there was no way he could tell her. He sighed, and continued to watch.

He thought back to Friday night, and how drunk he became after the show. His roommate, Alec, had hauled his sorry ass home, and the next day, he had confronted him about what had happened. "Dude," Alec rolled his eyes, "you're into her, and she's hot. You should have chased after that loser and made yourself the hero."

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda, doesn't change anything."

"No," Alec stared right into his eyes, "YOU chose to drown your liver instead. Find her. A girl like that only comes along once in a lifetime. You're gonna regret not being with her now."

He rolled his eyes, "You've been listening to WAY too many arena rock ballads lately."

Alec grinned, then picked up his old acoustic guitar, and he flopped back on their battered couch, strumming. "Love hurts!" he belted out, causing his roommate to groan and he threw a pillow at him. Alec grinned and kept playing as he watched him walk back to his room. "I'm gonna keep torturing you until you tell her you dig her!" he promised.

True to his word, Alec had been making a point of singing sappy rock and blues love songs every time that he was in the room. That's how he ended up back at the library, to escape his insane roommate. He sighed, maybe Alec was right, maybe he should walk up and talk to her. He ran his long fingers through his hair, working up his courage. All he had to do was walk over, but why did his feet feel like they were made of lead.

He was afraid. Afraid of losing her, afraid of hurting her. If he stayed back, then those things wouldn't happen, but it was too late. As she started packing up her books, she looked around the library, and her eyes fell on him, standing in the shadows.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her eyes met his, and she instantly knew who those brilliant blue eyes belonged to. She left her things on the table, and she walked up to him, mixed emotions crowding her thoughts. What should she do, what should she say. She wanted to hug him, to let him know that everything had been fine. In fact, as soon as Micheal had dropped her off in front of her dorm, she had left the car without even a thank-you. It wasn't him who she had wanted to go home with; it was this tall, rough, brilliant man. The man who, she was sure, had been watching her all evening. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of him.

"Hi," she said awkwardly, wishing she had said something cooler.

"Hey," he shifted his gaze away from her.

"Um, you wouldn't want to, uh, get a cup of coffee with me?" If she didn't say it then, she would never had been able to summon up the courage again.

"Don't want to go out with your boy-toy?" he said harshly, closing his eyes.

She was stunned by his attitude. "No, I want to go with you." She was feeling hurt.

He knew he had hurt her with his words, but it was for the best. Or so he told himself. "I'm not interested." He turned on his heel, and he left her alone in the middle of the library. He stepped out in the frosty January air, and he inhaled deeply. He paused for a moment, listening for her steps behind him. When he didn't hear them, he shoved his hands in his pockets, and he started to make his way home.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Reminder – I do not own these characters...but I'm glad I got to play with 'em :)**

October 2008

He left the restaurant, and he felt his heart sink. What was she doing with that idiot. He gritted his teeth, remembering their rivalry back in medical school. He leaned even more heavily on his cane, trying to convince himself that he didn't care.

He walked to where his motorcycle was parked, and he sat down and started it up. He revved the engine, and he made his way to the hospital. He walked into the conference room, and he tossed the file down on the desk, and he had the team prepare for the surgery.

After the surgery had been performed, they had to wait around for the results. He checked his watch, and it actually wasn't too late. He could at least go home and get a few hours of sleep before he needed to come back to the hospital. He informed Taub that he could stay and watch the patient, and he went out to his bike. He started the engine, and then he rode out into the cool fall night.

He rode around Princeton for several hours, and his mind worked its gears, bringing up memories that, he had thought, were long forgotten. His gut churned with jealousy, and he could still see the smile on her face as she looked at that other man. "No!," he shouted inside his helmet. He didn't even like her, so he shouldn't be jealous. His grip on the handles tightened, and he sped the bike up. He didn't know what his destination was, but he knew he couldn't go back to his empty apartment.

--------------------------------------------------------

She sat in her house, drinking a glass of wine. She thought back to the evening, and while she had a good time, she knew that there was something out of place. She sighed, and she leaned her head back. She thought back to the initial look on House's face. She knew that he remembered Micheal, and she felt a familiar pang of guilt in her belly. She had hurt him; she knew that, and once again, she felt responsible for another layer of bricks that he put up around him. She closed her eyes, and she tried to stifle the tears, willing them not to fall.

She looked at the pile of budget reports on the coffee table, and she thought about going through them, but she didn't have the heart. She finished the wine, and she went to her bedroom. She began rummaging through her closet, and in a box, hidden underneath some old storage containers, she found an old Rolling stones concert tee. It had definitely seen much better days, but she held it to her. She thought that it still smelled like him. She changed into it and a pair of sweats. She then inhaled deeply, trying to compose herself, and she went to the living room to tackle those reports.

------------------------------------------------------------

He didn't know why he pulled up in front of her place, but he did know that he had been having trouble getting her out of his mind all night. He figured, since it was nearly midnight, that she would already be in bed. When he pulled up, he was surprised that her living room window was lit up. He inhaled deeply, not knowing what his next move should be.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, wondering if he should just go up and ring the bell. What could it hurt? After all, he was just checking up on her, making sure that she was okay. Deep down, he knew that the only reason he was here was to make sure she hadn't brought that loser back here. At least, that's what he rationalized. It had nothing to do with the jealousy that was welling up in his gut. He gripped his cane handle tightly, and he made his way to her front door.

----------------------------------------------------------------

She was reading over a particularly boring report, trying to focus on the blurring numbers. She blinked, trying to make the numbers less fuzzy, and she stifled a yawn. It was getting very late, and she needed to finish this before the Budget Committee meeting that was scheduled for the next afternoon. She stood up and stretched, hoping that the movement would allow her mind to clear enough for her to finish reading the file. She laughed to herself, thinking about the person who kept invading her thoughts.

She was startled out of her musings by a loud, repetitive knocking on her door. She felt her heart begin to race. She knew that knock, and he was the only person who would even try to contact her this late with out calling first. She made her way to the door, and of course, it was his tall frame that filled her door frame.

She sighed, "House, what do you want? I have work to do."

"I was just in the neighborhood..."

"No, you weren't. You live five miles away, on the other side of town." She rolled her eyes. "I didn't bring him home. It's just me here," she opened the door wider, giving him a glimpse into her foyer. "Now you've seen, so go away."

His eyes flickered around the living room, but they were drawn back to her. They grew wide when he saw her t-shirt. "You still have it," he mumbled. He fought the urge to touch it. Seeing her in it brought back memories that he had thought were long buried.

She smiled, "you can't have it back. It's too comfortable."

He nodded. "It looks good on you." Even after all the years, the sight of her in his old t-shirt sent a secret thrill down his spine.

"Go home. We'll talk tomorrow."

"And by talk, you mean you'll screech like a sea gull while I ignore you and stare at your breasts?" He sounded like a little boy.

"It's what we do. Good night, House."

"You gonna sleep in that tonight?" His eyes gleamed with longing.

She hesitated before nodding. "Good _night,_ House."

"Good night, Cuddy." She shut the door, and once she heard him go, she leaned her back against the cool wood, and she closed her eyes, remembering the night that he had given her the shirt. A small, sad smile played on her lips, and she sighed, relishing the memory.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Glad that you all like this! We're going to the past. I've had some folks tell me that they get confused by the flipping back and forth. If you have any comments or concerns, please, let me know. I do want you all to enjoy this, and I don't want you to be confused :) Thank-you!**_

_******************************************************_

March, 1985

Since that awful first weekend back from winter break, time had passed rather quickly. She blinked, and it seemed that spring break was drawing closer. It had been over month since her disastrous attempt to apologize, but she hadn't given up on him. He still sat next to her in every lecture, and she went to his office hours to debate. The subject didn't matter. If a student came in, she would leave, but sometimes they sat across each other at his desk for hours, arguing this topic or that topic.

After a week or so of her stubbornness, he began to join her in the library again. Much like the first time that they met, he would sit across from her in silence, correcting her as needed. When they finished, he would leave without a word, and that wrenched her heart. She just wanted him to talk to her, to say something about what had happened, but that would never happen. She knew that the closer she came, the farther he would push her away.

She was happy to see the weather turn nicer, though springs in Michigan were a surprising season. It was mid March, and they had just seen an inch of snow fall. She was contemplating leaving for spring break, but she didn't really know where to go. Her roommate and Jessica were planning on flying to L.A. for the week, and they had asked her if she wanted to join them, but she had declined. She was seriously thinking about flying back home to visit her parents, but her sister was in trouble again. She didn't want to go back home and deal with that situation.

She decided to take a study break, and she grabbed her keys and left the dorm room. Kim, her roommate had left, so she had scribbled a note, saying she would be back in a bit. She locked the door, and she headed toward a small pizza joint just off campus.

It took her about twenty minutes to walk there, and she actually was happy for the wait in line. It gave her a chance to warm up. She stood there, trying not to shiver, and she heard a voice brightly speak behind her. "Hey, you're the bookworm G-man always talks about." She turned, and she vaguely remembered the lead singer of the band that he had played in.

"Excuse me?" she looked him over. His gray eyes were dancing playfully, and he had a goofy smile on his face. His long blond hair was tightly braided back from his face. He was dressed rather nicely, but she could see the outline of the band t-shirt that he wore underneath his collared shirt. He laughed easily at her response to his question.

"You're the girl that Greg can't shut up about," he paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well, you're the girl that I've heard him talk the most about. He's not a big talker." His eyes didn't stop sparkling. "I'm Alec Hansen, Greg House's roommate." He nodded for her to move up in line.

"Lisa Cuddy. He actually talks about me?" She was surprised at that information. "I didn't even think he liked me," she admitted.

"Well, he does refer to you as 'that annoyingly stubborn bookworm,' but that translates to 'really cute study partner' in Greg's language," he winked at her. Unfortunately, she didn't have a chance to respond right away. She was next in line, so she put in her order. She stood off side, and she waited for Alec to put his order in. After he was done, he grinned at her. "So, you wanna sit alone, or do ya want some company? Personally, I'd like someone to talk to. Loneliness is overrated, don't you think?"

She had to agree. "Yeah, you can join me." She was intrigued by this playful person. She just couldn't imagine someone who smiled and joked as much as this guy being roommates with someone as quiet and serious as Greg House.

They found a seat, and they chatted amiably about classes and the weather and such. When their orders came up, he gave her a lopsided smile and stood. "I got 'em. If my mother finds out that I made a lovely young lady get her own order, she'll beat me with her rolling pin. He returned, and their conversation turned to music.

"You know, Greg and I are in a jazz trio with our cover band drummer. We've got a gig the Saturday night spring break starts. If you're not going anywhere, you should come out and see us play," he shrugged. "Just giving you something to think about."

"That sounds like...a lot of fun," she smiled. "I really think I'll have to come out."

His eyes lit up, "Rad! We're playing at The Pub. It's an all ages show, so I don't think we'll have to sneak you in. See if you can't bring some friends. The more the merrier, so to speak." He finished his pizza. "We're also having a party at my place after the gig. You're more than welcome to come. Normally, I'd let Greg invite you..."

"But we both know that's not going to happen," she finished for him. "Thanks for the invitation. I'll have to really think about coming," she told him, sincerely.

"Awesome." He stood up. "Now, I have to get moving. I've got to proctor an Algebra exam. I'll talk to you soon, bookworm." He grinned and then he left.

She drummed her fingertips on the table top, wondering about the invitation. She knew that she would be happy to see him in that setting, but despite what Alec had told her, she doubted that he would be happy to see her again. Lost in thought, she barely heard someone say her name. She glanced up, and she could barely keep the look of disinterest off her face. Micheal had come in with a group of guys, and he was making his way toward her.

-----------------------------------------------------------

He was sitting in his office, throwing an orange tennis ball against the wall. He was bored, and he knew he shouldn't be. He had projects coming up due, and his rotations were murder. He also had to T.A. this stupid freshman anatomy class. It was part of the deal that he had made with the medical school. He sighed, and he continued to throw the ball. In the back of his mind, he wondered where she was.

She threw open the door to his office, and he automatically sat up. Something wasn't right. He could tell that by the anger that roiled in her eyes. This wasn't the usual indignant flirting anger; she was well and truly pissed. He stared back, trying to fit the puzzle pieces in place.

He spoke first, "What are you wanting to argue..."

"Cut the crap," she hissed, and he fell silent. He noticed that she was close to tears, but it couldn't be anything he did. At least, not this time. He hadn't really been speaking to her. He wondered if she was still upset about his ignoring her for several weeks.

He stood up, and he walked over to her, his head tilted slightly to the left. "Look Lisa," he began. He raised a hand up to brush the tears from her cheek.

She slapped it away. "Don't touch me," she took a half step back. Now he was truly puzzled. He stared at her, fumbling for words. He wasn't a ladies man by any stretch of imagination, and he was always awkward in these situations. He never said the right things, but then again, the "right" things were usually the things the other person wanted to hear, not needed to here.

He watched as she paced around the room. She didn't look hurt, physically. He opened his mouth, to ask her what had happened, but she spoke first.

"What happened at Hopkins," she whirled around, and she stared him in the eye. Her gaze was hard.

"How do you know about...," he had never spoken to her about his last med school. He needed to find out what she knew and fast. Though, he had a horrible feeling that he already knew. He stood straight, and he met her gaze, "Needed a change of scenery."

"Liar!" she spat. "Tell me the truth, now, House!"

The use of his last name floored him. His eyes grew hard. She knew, but how could she know. The puzzle fit into place, and his eyes grew wide. Micheal. He must had told her. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Do you really want to know the truth, _Cuddy_," he returned with emphasis on her last name. "You know enough to be pissed at me, and you're not really going to listen to anything I say anyway. It doesn't matter..."

"Yes it does!" her voice rose an octave, and all he could think of was "shrieking harpy." He cringed, but didn't say anything. He simply waited for her to continue. "I worked hard to get where I am. I always did everything in my power to be the best, but I did it with integrity. I never cheated," she put so much emphasis on that word, that it made him feel sick. "I never took the easy route. And now," the tears began to flow freely, "I find out that the guy who has been helping all semester cheated his way..."

"I did NOT cheat my way into med school!" It was his turn to be angry. "I made a mistake, okay! I'm not proud of what happened, but it happened. I came here to prove that I can do it, that I can succeed. I should NOT be judged by my ONE moment of stupidity." His voice rose. He rarely admitted that he was wrong, but he had never seen her so angry. He felt horrible, for indirectly hurting her. He knew that she was really nothing but integrity, and he felt like he had corrupted her somehow. He closed his eyes, and he cursed himself for even getting involved with her to begin with. He felt like he had tainted her.

Her eyes never softened. "I never want to see you again. Don't talk to me. Don't sit next to me. Don't do anything." She walked out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

He sat heavily down in his chair, and he buried his face in his hands. He felt like shit, and he thought he was going to be sick. He sighed, willing himself not to cry, and he got up. He grabbed his coat and his keys, and he headed off to the bars.


	8. Chapter 8

Late March, 1985

A couple of weeks had passed since she had left his office in anger. It was the first weekend of spring break, and she sat at her desk, waiting. What she was waiting for, she didn't know. She drummed her fingertips on the desk top, trying to figure out what to do.

Her thoughts drifted back to her conversation with his roommate, Alec or Alex, she thought his name was. She remembered that they had a gig, but was it this night or last night? She sighed; she had missed him teasing her the past few weeks. She felt guilty, and she wondered if she had maybe overreacted. Maybe he was right, and she had judged him for a mistake. She sighed, and she decided to go the gig. She got dressed, and she headed out to the club.

She was in luck, the band had already started to play. She found a spot in the back of the club, and sat down at a table. She was taken in by the smooth jazz that was coming from the stage. She watched him at the piano, lost in the music. He had told her that he was pianist, but she didn't think he was going to be this good. His long fingers flowed like wine across the ivory keys with ease. She sat, entranced by the smoky instrumental works. The world seemed to stop in it's place.

She had never felt that much emotion in music before. She could feel the sorrow, the sense of loss, that came floating up from the air, and it caused her to shiver. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep the warmth in. She felt tears well up in her eyes.

The band finished their set, and they left the stage. She blinked, and she was surprised when she saw bright blue eyes staring at her from across the table. She opened her mouth, but no words could come out. Even the simple "I'm sorry," seemed to get stuck in her throat.

"You came," the words were simple, and they were also completely devoid of emotion. "Why? I thought you never wanted to see me again." Those words were harsher.

She swallowed her pride, "I was..."

"You didn't even give me a chance," he sounded wounded. "Deal with your actions." He stood up and left the table, but she had already seen the hurt and anger in his eyes.

"I don't want you leave," she whispered to herself. Damn her pride. Why couldn't she have just said it to him. She curled her hands into fists, cursing herself. She just wanted to let him know that she had been wrong, or at least she thought that she had overreacted. She couldn't even swallow her pride enough to do that.

She stayed through the end of the concert, feeling his pain with ever tap of the piano keys. He really was a good musician. Her eyes never left him, though she made a face as half way through the set, he lit a cigar. It actually accented the music they were playing very well. Bourbon, cigar smoke, and really good smooth jazz just kind of made the night complete. She felt herself grow sad as the set ended.

As she got up to leave, a young man from across the room walked up to her and offered her an escort back to her place. She had noticed him watching her throughout the evening, and while he was cute, she smiled and politely declined his offer. She put on her coat, and started the trek back to the dorms.

"Not going to say goodbye," his voice floated from an alley way. She stopped, and turned toward him, his eyes glowing like blue beacons. She took a few steps toward him, but she still couldn't find any words to say to him. "You blew off that guy to walk home alone," he commented. "Why?"

She could smell the alcohol on his breath. He was a lot more intoxicated than he looked. She noticed that his eyes had an even more haunted quality to them. Usually they were filled with confidence and bravado, now, they looked brittle and dull. "I...I didn't want him to walk me home," she lifted her chin defiantly. "I can take care of myself."

"You have to control everything," he lifted an eyebrow at her, moving closer, making her slightly uncomfortable. "You don't like matters that are out of your hands. In fact, you run from them; you avoid them."

"I do not."

He grinned slightly at that, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, "Do too. You just tensed up like a wire."

"You're drunk."

"A little," he admitted, wobbling a little. He leaned in and he whispered into her ear, "I wanna see you lose control."

She felt her face burn, and she knew that she was blushing. She whispered back, "Not a chance."

"Is that a challenge?" The feel of his hot breath on her ear sent tingles throughout her body. He pulled her closer to him. He leaned down, and he pressed his lips on hers. She inhaled sharply, savoring the warmth of his soft lips on hers. He opened his mouth slightly, and he ran his tongue across her bottom lip, teasing her. She felt a rush of arousal flood her body, but she needed to regain control. Now was not the time, and this was not the place. She pressed her hands against his chest, and she pushed him, hard. He looked stunned and hurt.

"I'm not making out with you in an alley behind a bar," she said firmly, breathing heavily, and she saw his lips twitch up in a grin. "And not until the end of the semester. You're still my T.A." She glared at him, which made him smile even more.

"C'mon? Don't want to earn an 'A' the fun way?" He nearly laughed at the indignant look on her face.

"No! And I don't want to kiss anyone who tastes like bourbon and cigar smoke. Yuk!" She did her best to scowl, but she was secretly enjoying this. She turned to walk away.

He grinned "I'll see you in the library!" he called after her. "You've got to earn that 'A' someway, and your math skills are mediocre at best!"

She didn't turn around to respond, but she felt her lips curl up into a smile. She was looking forward to seeing him in the library again.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Monday afternoon, he was waiting for her in the library. A sly smile had curled up on his lips, and he leaned back in his chair, studying her. He watched how the soft light played off the dark curls of her hair. How her jeans and sweater didn't hide her curves, but seemed to accentuate them. She carried her self well, and she held her head high. She didn't smile when she saw him, but he could see she was happy in her eyes.

She looked at him, "Where are your books?"

"It's spring break," he said with a grin, "we're going to have some fun."

"But I need too..."

"You're the smartest person in that class. You can blow off a day, and have some fun with me. I think you'll like what we're going to do."

"Wait a second," she narrowed her eyes. "I haven't agreed to anything yet. What are you planning?"

He stood up, the grin still on his face, "C'mon, I'll show you."

They walked outside, side by side. She watched him continuously glancing down at her, and she knew he was trying to look down her sweater. She had to laugh at his obvious lechery. What surprised her was when he steered her toward the parking lot, and he stood beside a battered black motorcycle. He tossed her a helmet, and she caught it, surprised. "How 'bout a bike ride?" he grinned.

She turned the helmet over and over in her hands, a little torn. Part of her thought it would be a lot of fun, but another part of her thought it was insanely dangerous. But the sight of him standing there, almost like an overeager puppy, slowly made her make up her mind.

When he saw her smile, he knew that he had won, and he didn't even have to argue with her this time. He sat on the bike, and he extended his hand out toward her. She climbed up behind him, and he gave her some brief instructions. He started up the bike, and she put her hands on his hips. He rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, and he wrapped her arms around his waist. Then they roared off.

A few hours later, they were eating dinner at a little restaurant off the shores of Lake Huron. It was a very casual place, and it had some of the best food she had eaten. "You like?" he asked with a grin.

She nodded, "this has been amazing. The trip up, the hike, and now this. Why?"

He shrugged, "I usually come up here alone, and I thought you'd like to see my little hiding spot."

She nodded, "it's peaceful. Thank you."

He grinned. They didn't linger over dinner, and soon, they climbed back onto his bike. They rolled back into Ann Arbor well after midnight. He rolled up to her dorm, and he turned off the bike. He watched as she dismounted, a little awkwardly. "Sorry," he grimaced. "I guess you're not used to such long trips.

"It's okay," she smiled as she pulled off the helmet. "Thank you, you know. That was more fun than I have had in a while. And I get to say I've been on a motorcycle." Her eyes lit up.

"You know..., there are other things we can on this," he teased, expecting her to take his bait.

"Really," she teased back. "I'd think I'd like to try that."

His eyes grew wide, "Seriously?"

She had to laugh, "no." She stood there, awkwardly, wondering what to do, then she walked over to him and hugged him. "Thank you, Greg."

He held her for a second, then he grinned wildly. Inspiration struck him, and he slid his hand down her back, cupping her bottom. He relished the feel of her ass in his hand, and he hoped she wouldn't slap him.

She sighed, "How did I know that you were going to feel me up."

"I have a feeling you're gonna learn a lot more about me," he grinned.

She rolled her eyes, and she broke off the embrace. "Thanks, again. Next time, keep your hands to yourself." She walked into the dorm, and he could only smile at the view. After she went into the buildin, he started up the bike, and he headed to back to the apartment, a little smile on his face.


	9. Chapter 9

Late October, 2008

He sat in the lounge chair in his office, staring into space. It had been a few days since he'd visited her at her home, and he was trying to sort out the threads of evidence in his mind. Was she dating that tool? Was he the blind date? Some how, he doubted both, but still, it gnawed on him.

He tried to organize his thoughts, but his mind kept drifting back to her, in his t-shirt. The emotions that had been driven to the forefront of his mind had nearly floored him. He was shaken up. He never reacted that way, but somehow the thought of her in his old shirt had brought older, fonder memories out of hiding. Memories that he had kept tucked away, hoping that they'd never seen the light of day.

He closed his eyes, and he tried to push them out of his mind. He couldn't deal with the distraction. That's why he kept these things hidden, so he didn't have to deal with them. Caring about the past accomplished nothing, except to drudge up things that could only hurt

He sighed, and he didn't even realize that he had drifted off to sleep.

--------------------------------------------------------------

_He was sixteen, and he was in the midst of teen rebellion. His father had hated his attitude, but there was nothing he could do about it anymore. They were in the middle of one of their screaming matches, which had become an evening ritual. It was always one thing or another. Tonight, it was about him getting caught breaking into cars around the neighborhood._

_The had squared off in the middle of the living room, which was their version of Madison Square Garden. He didn't understand why his father cared. They'd be moving again in a few months, and he wouldn't even be remembered in this fucking Podunk town. They had only been here for a year anyway._

_He had done it out of boredom. He didn't have any friends, and, as far as he could remember, he had never had any friends. He was an outsider in every place that he had ever been, and he had rarely been welcome. He had learned that he was different, smarter and more quick witted than the other kids. He rarely attended school, yet he still received the highest grades in the class. Despite all of his talents, he had always been jealous of other kids, with their seemingly perfect lives, while he languished in his own private h3ll._

_His father had just slammed the door after the cops had dropped him off. The Morgan's had declined to press charges, simply saying that "boys will be boys," so they took it upon themselves to take him to his home. They had filled his father in on what had happened, and he swore that he could see the steam coming out of his ears. He stood in the shadows, watching, the anxiety growing with every second that passed. No matter what his dad did this time, he would be strong. He wouldn't break._

"_Just what the h3ll where you thinking, boy!" his father bellowed, sending spit flying into his face. "You are a menace to this family! You think you're goddamn funny? That this is damn funny? Well, I got news for you, it ain't. You're in serious shit now, boy."_

"_Stop calling me boy!" he fired back, standing his ground. He heard his mother escape to the kitchen. Good. He didn't want her to see this. It was what made him feel guilty about all the rows, how they affected her. He took a deep breath, knowing what he was going to say was going to make this man livid. "It's not like you're my goddamn father anyway. Shit, we don't even look alike."_

_It was not the first time he had said that, and he doubted that it would be the last. He swallowed, watching his father's face turn from red to purple. "You little bastard. You're gonna pay for that!"_

"_Right. At least, I know I'm a bastard. How could I forget, with you reminding me of that every five minutes." he spat back. He felt his hands clench into fists at his sides, and he knew he was slowly losing control._

"_You little son of a bitch," his father hissed quietly. "You think you can take you're ol' man on? You certainly talk the talk, but can you walk the walk." His father's mouth had morphed into a smug, dangerous grin. When he didn't move, the man just snorted, "I knew you didn't have it in you, you little chicken shit."_

_He never saw the blow come. He, who saw everything, never saw the fist rise. The floor rose up to meet him, and he crashed into the coffee table. The pain in his face was the first thing he felt. He heard a voice calling his name, and someone was shaking him gently. "House! House! Wake up!" In reality, it had been his mother, and she had called him Greg. In his dream it was Cuddy, who came to his rescue._

_----------------------------------------------_

She had come into his office to ask him for an update on his current patient. When she saw him asleep in his lounge chair, she had rolled her eyes. She began to walk over to him, but then she heard him whimper in his sleep. She had always wondered what terrors lied behind those gorgeous blue eyes, and she knew that she could scarcely imagine the nightmares that haunted his dreams.

She heard him whimper again, and she placed her hand on his shoulder. She lightly shook it, trying to get him to wake up. "House." she said gently, giving him another shake. "House!" She shook him harder. "Wake up!"

He snorted, and he opened his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?" He ran his hand over his eyes, trying to wipe the memories away.

"Apparently interrupting your nap time." She had to fight to keep from smiling nervously. "I came to check up on your patient's status."

"You'd have to ask Foreman. My minions are off running some tests." He slowly stood up, still shaking the after effects from his mind.

"'Minions' is an understatement." She watched him as he made a cup of coffee. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." He glanced over his shoulder at her. "I always do my best diagnosing in my sleep."

She bit her lip. She really didn't have a reason to stay here, and she couldn't think of anything to say to him. She remembered the look he had in his eyes as he stood on her door step, and it was all she could do to keep from shivering. She had seen that look once before, and it still affected her. She needed to leave, to escape him. "Okay. I'll go find Foreman."

He watched her leave, and he sighed sadly. His dream had reminded him of everything he could never have. And that everything had walked out of his door.

*******************************************************

She was putting make up on in her bathroom, and she heard a loud knocking on her front door. She glanced at the clock, and she frowned. He was an hour early. She put down her mascara brush, and she went too the door.

She had been surprised when Micheal had called her this afternoon. She had just returned from her own office after visiting House in his. His phone call had been a welcome diversion from the emotions that had been threatening to overwhelm her. He had asked her if she was free for dinner, and she had told him that she was. She was happy to be going out again, even if it was as just friends. Anymore, it seemed like her job was the only thing in her life. She needed something more, but she wasn't sure what that something was.

She pulled open the door, an apology on her lips, but it wasn't Micheal on the other side of the door. "House?" she blinked. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer right away. He just stared at her intensely. Finally, as if he was coming out of a daze, he answered her. "Hot date tonight?" His eyes traveled down to her dress, then back up to her eyes.

"Dinner with a friend. What do you want?"

He stared into her eyes, trying to gauge her emotions. "This is more than dinner with an old friend," he muttered, more to himself than to her. "This is a date." He quickly looked away. "I had no you were that desperate."

"Desperate?" She laughed. "It's just dinner..."

"And after? Drinks at your place, or his. And then, the..."

She didn't let him finish. "House, stop it. You missed your chance with me a long time ago. You were the one who walked away. Give it up. Let me have a moment of happiness."

"You'll pay for that moment with a lifetime of misery," he searched her eyes.

She bit her lower lip, and she sighed. She didn't like what she saw in those eyes, and yet again, he was bringing up emotions in her that she had thought had been forgotten. "Why are you here?" she asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"Why did you come into my office this afternoon?" he questioned back.

"I was just checking..."

"No, you weren't. You know that I don't run tests, and that I sent the team to do that." He took a step toward her, his blue eyes blazing and set on hers. "Why did you come there?" He saw her hesitate, and he almost smiled, almost. "You wanted to see me, didn't you?"

She gave him a small half smile. "I see you everyday. I need to finish getting ready," she turned and went back into the house, and he followed her, a grin playing on his face. "I didn't invite you in," she playfully called back to him.

"You didn't NOT invite me, either." He glanced around her house. It was not the first time he had been there, but for some reason, it made him feel uncomfortable. There were photos of family on the walls, and lots of artwork. It looked comfortable and warm. It looked like a home.

"If you want to talk, you should call up Wilson, now that he's talking to you again." She heard him mumble something as he entered her bedroom. He flopped down on the bed, bouncing a little. She could barely keep the smile from forming. He could shift gears from being an old, world weary soul to an eight year old faster than anyone she had ever met.

"It's not the same. Wilson just wants to talk about the same stuff over and over. You're far more interesting."

"Is that it?" She called from her bathroom. "I'm just 'interesting?'"

"Always thought so," he had gotten up from her bed, and now he leaned on the door frame, watching her put on make-up. "You look like a..."

"If you say hooker, I will call Wilson, and I will have him pick you up."

"...call girl." he finished with a grin. His expression grew a bit more somber. "How did your sister meet Micheal? I didn't think she..."

"She didn't know him. She set me up with one of her friends from work. The last blind date she set me up on was a disaster. She wonders why I'm still single; at least I've not been married and divorced four times. I ran into Micheal at the restaurant. Blew off the date."

"We should hook your sister up with Wilson." He grimaced at the cold look that she threw him.

"I wouldn't want to wish her on Wilson," she said with a half chuckle. "Besides, it would be yet another Wilson ex that hates you, and there are more than enough of those running around, don't you think."

"Just because I broke into her car and took it for a joy ride that summer..."

"She reported it as stolen, you moron. It took a week of me pleading with her to get her to drop the charges, or she would have let your ass sit in jail. Or did you forget that particular part."

"You and Alec bailed me out...," he grinned. He liked this reminiscing. That had been easily, the best time of his life. He had so much fun, it almost hurt to remember it.

She sighed, and she was about to answer his remark, when she heard a tapping at the door. "That's him," She groaned. She glanced up at House. "You did this on purpose." She got up and answered the door. He followed her out of the room, a playful grin forming on his face.

She answered the door, and she greeted Michael with a hug. "House was just leaving," she explained, shooting a dirty look at him. "He needed okay for a procedure."

His eyes flew wide. She'd lied. Not to him, but about him. A sly smile formed on his face, and he left quietly, pondering this new information. This was getting much more...interesting....


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N**_

_**To everyone who is still reading and reviewing, thank you! I love hearing your thoughts! I'm glad you all enjoy it :)**_

_**Here's the next chapter, as always, I hope you like it!**_

**********************************************************************************

October, 2008

He was sitting on his couch, a drink in hand, and he was staring at the T.V. without really watching it. He heard a knock at his door, and he jumped a little. He glanced up at the clock, and he frowned. Cuddy would still be on her date. As the knocking continued, he groaned, and he slowly got to his feet. He limped over to the door, and he opened it. He rolled his eyes, and he sighed. "What are you doing here?"

Wilson stared at him. "You chase me around for months, and now that I'm back, you ignore me?" He shook his head. "Why am I not surprised."

He moved back from the door, allowing his friend to enter. He looked at his friend with feigned indifference. "Now you're back. Not interesting."

Wilson just rolled his eyes. "Still the same House, I see." He walked into the apartment, and he looked around. "Do you ever clean up after yourself?"

"Well, after you moved out, I lost my personal maid-slash-assistant-slash-chef."

He sighed, "That was three years ago, House. I would have hoped you would have hired someone by now." He glanced at his friend. "So, are you going to tell me what's going on between you and Cuddy?"

He narrowed his eyes. "There's nothing going on between Cuddy and I. In fact, she's on a date." He sat back down on the couch, and he put his feet up on the coffee table.

Wilson was surprised. "And you're not out committing felony stalking and harassment? I don't know who I am anymore," he sighed, exaggerating it.

"Did that on the first date." He glanced at his friend. "Didn't want to be accused of repeating myself."

"Oh, since when has that stopped you?" He tried not to grin. "Or are you losing your touch?"

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "I've not lost anything."

"Then just go to her house, and let her know what's going on in that head of yours. Whether it's lust or love..."

"It's definitely not love. I'm incapable of love. Now lust on the other hand..."

"Stop deflecting. You're going to lose her, you know. You'll never get that chance again."

His head snapped up and he looked his friend in the eye. _You have no idea what chances with her I've given up_. He sighed deeply. "It would never work."

"No, it won't, unless you try!" Wilson never broke eye contact. "It may go down in flames, but at least you made the effort."

"What's the point in making an effort if it only ends in pain..." He turned his gaze away quickly.

Wilson shook his head. "You'll still feel the pain, but you'll never experience the positive things that lead to it." He nodded toward the door. "Go to her. See what happens."

He sighed. "You're not letting me stay here, are you?"

"Nope."

"Good to have you back, Wilson."

"Nice to be back, House."

---------------------------------------------------------------

He was waiting at her doorstep when she got home. When he saw that she was alone, he smiled slightly. He was sitting on the stoop, tapping his cane rhythmically. His breath was misting in the frosty fall air.

She pulled up in her car, and she got out. She was actually a little surprised that he was sitting on her stoop. "House, why are you here?" She watched as he got to his feet, using his cane for leverage. To this day, she felt a twinge of guilt when she saw him use it. He limped over to her, and he stared into her eyes, his mixed emotions flickering through them.

"Wilson kicked me out of my apartment, until I talked to you."

"Talked to me about what." She wrapped her coat tighter around her body. "Let's go in. It's chilly here."

He nodded curtly, and then followed her in. He glanced around, trying to look at anything but her.

"House, why are you here? Why can't you just let it alone?" She pulled off her coat, and she hung it on a peg in the wall. He made no effort to do the same.

"I...I don't know." His eyes flickered nervously.

"Is this about...us?"

He sighed. "There is no us...not really. I...I can't be that guy. The guy that'll give you the house in the suburbs with the house and the kids and the yard. I'm a world class screw up and a drug addict." He paused, and she stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. "I...I don't know what I'm saying..." He turned to leave, cursing himself for feeling embarrassed. He turned away.

"House!" He stopped and he turned back toward her. She caught his eye, her own eyes glittering. "You're not the only screw up here, and I know that "we" can never happen...for many reasons. But," she frowned, trying to find the right words, "you have no idea, how lucky I feel to have you in my life." She rose up on her toes, and she kissed him softly on the cheek. "And I'll always feel that way, no matter how big of a pain in the ass you are. Good night, House."

He stared deeply in her eyes, desperately trying to ignore the rush of emotions that coursed through him. Finally he blinked. "Goodbye, Cuddy."

He walked out the door. She closed it behind her, and she softly cursed to the empty house. Why did everything have to be so complicated...


	11. Chapter 11

_**A bit fluffier than I'm used to writing. I hope you all enjoy it!**_

The semester was coming to an end, and she was packing up her things. She was going back to Connecticut in a few days, and she knew already that she was going to miss this place. She had taken her last final, and she was confident that she had received an "A." She felt a pang in her heart; she was going back home, leaving her new friends. She didn't know how she was going to be able to do that for four more years.

She had just zipped up her suitcase, when she heard a knock at her door. She walked over, and she opened it. She smiled when she saw him standing there, in his well worn jeans and t-shirt. His eyes bored into hers, but there was a cool, almost detached quality to them. "Getting ready to leave," he commented coolly.

"Yeah," she was a bit confused by his demeanor, but she had learned that he was a very moody individual. She had also learned that he was borderline insane, but his moods and thoughts could be deciphered through his eyes. The answers were there, if one knew where to look for them. "You going home to visit your family?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I don't have a home." He saw her confusion. "My folks are in Germany, where my father's stationed." He shrugged. "We moved around a lot." His tone clearly stated that particular part of the conversation was over.

She nodded. "Staying here, then?"

He shook his head again. "I got a internship at New York Hospital."

"Really? Maybe I'll see you around, then?" She grinned at him.

"Where are you from? I'm guessing, northeast. Maybe Massachusetts or Connecticut." He had been speaking to her all semester, and he realized that he didn't know many personal things about her.

"Hartford, Connecticut." She grinned. "So see, stop moping and smile, for a change. We'll not be that far apart."

He nodded, but still didn't look very happy. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

She shook her head. "No. Just getting this place cleaned up. They gave us a checklist of all the things we have to do before we check out."

"You have what, two more days?" When she nodded, he smiled a slight half smile. "Then, come on." He extended his hand. She paused for half a second, and then she took it, eliciting a grin from him.

They walked across campus, side by side, but they never spoke. He lead her up to a three story apartment house. They climbed the stairs to the third floor apartments. He stopped at a door that had a huge British flag covering it. He pulled out a key, and he unlocked the door. "Come on in...Alec and a bunch of his friends are here, but they won't bother us."

She looked at him warily, but she nodded. He didn't trust easily; that was one of the first things she had learned about him. She had to trust him, and she hoped if she put enough effort into it, then he would trust her.

"Okay, let's go." He took her by the hand, and he pulled her down the hall. She was a bit apprehensive, but she had to smile at his child-like enthusiasm. He stopped at a door, and he opened it and he pulled her inside. She realized that it was his bedroom.

"Greg, I'm not sure about this..." she looked around nervously.

"Huh? Not sure about what?" She watched as the realization burned through his eyes. "Oh...OH... Don't worry. I don't go all the way until the third date," he winked at her. "But ply me with enough bourbon, I can be yours forever." He grabbed a blanket off the bed, then he opened up the window. "Come on," he waved her over.

They climbed out the window to a small balcony. From there, it wasn't hard to reach the roof. He helped her climb up on it, then he spread the blanket down on it. They laid down, and they stared at the sky.

"Greg, what am I supposed to be..."

"Shhhh... Just wait," he whispered. He had folded his arms behind his head, and his lanky six foot two inch frame was completely stretched out on the blanket. She laid beside him, very aware of his nearness.

They lay in silence for several more moments, and she was getting ready to ask him again, then she saw the first sparks of light dance across the clear night sky. She lay in silence, and she watched the meteor shower with him, in awe of mother nature's light show.

Somehow, over the course of the several hours, they had moved closer to each other. As the last few sparks darted across the sky, she sighed. "That was beautiful."

She didn't know it, but he had barely been able to keep his eyes on the sky. He had found himself glancing over at her most of the night, but he sucked at sappy romantic lines, so he kept silent.

She rose up to one side, and she rested her weight on her elbow. "Thank you, Greg."

He nodded, and he slowly got to his feet. He stretched out his hand, and he helped her up. "Thought you'd like it." They slipped back into his room, and then they walked back across campus.

Questions burned in her mind, but she was too scared to ask them. She didn't know what the answers would be. Was he her friend, or more so? Did she want him to be more? How would that change what ever it was between them? She decided that she was giving herself a headache trying to figure things out. There would be more time to think about it later.

They arrived at her dorm, and she turned around. She looked into his eyes, and she licked her lips. "I guess I'll see you around," she said softly.

He nodded, then turned to leave. "Greg, wait!" She called back. She ran up to him, and she rose up on her toes. She pressed her lips to his, feeling the shock he felt through his body. After a brief moment, she whispered against his lips "The semester is over." Before he could react, however, she had slipped away. She darted back into her dorm, leaving him alone.

He didn't know how to react to her impulsiveness. That in itself made him smile; she was usually much more reserved. He felt something in his hand, and he saw a piece of paper. He grinned; she had slid it into his palm when she was kissing him. It had her address and phone number back in Connecticut. He was beginning to look even more forward to the summer.


	12. Chapter 12

Late May, 1985

He was lying in his bed, tossing a bright yellow tennis ball at the ceiling. He heard the door to his apartment open and shut, and he lifted his head off his pillow. When Alec came in, he rolled his eyes. His roommate came in his room, and Alec lifted a blond eyebrow at him. "No work tomorrow?"

He shook his head. "Nope. They gave use Memorial Day weekend off. You?"

"Same. Mercy is pretty laid back. Nothing like Mayo, though," the young man just grinned at him.

"Just rub it in even more," he growled back.

"Yeah, I'm rubbing it in. You still cheated off me during our neurology final." I wouldn't have passed the class if it wasn't for you, yet you still cheat off me. You've been caught once, and you lost that damn internship, in addition to getting tossed out of Hopkins. You don't think it's going to happen again?"

He frowned, not answering his friend. It wasn't about the cheating itself. He was easily more intelligent than half the doctors that he studied under. It was the risk, the thrill. It made him feel alive, it gave him a challenge.

Seeing that his moody roommate wasn't answering, Alec changed the subject. "You call that chick back yet?"

"No," and he didn't want to. Laura. Her name was Laura. She was a Jersey party girl Madonna wannabe he had met at a club that Alec had drug him to. They had gotten along, if you call making out in the women's bathroom getting along. They'd had an...enjoyable...evening, and she had asked him to call her back, which he had no intentions to. She, like the cheating, the drugs, and the alcohol, was just another cheap thrill, another way of making himself feel alive.

"Why don't we just go up and visit Lisa? You have her number. We can go to Boston and catch a Sox game. God knows how much you hate the Yankees," Alec rolled his eyes. "We need to get out of this city. It's suffocating."

"Says the farm boy from Pennsylvania."

Alec shrugged. "Nothing wrong with being a simple country doctor. My father was one, you know."

He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice, "I have no desire to follow in my father's footsteps." He closed his eyes, trying to keep the bitter taste of the memories out of his mouth. "Besides," he changed the subject, "Boston is just as suffocating as New York."

"Then we can travel up to Maine, or upstate New York, or hiking in the Adirondacks. Something to get away." He gazed out the window to the concrete prison.

He looked at his roommate for a minute, then he reached into his pocket, pulling out a tattered scrap of paper. "Give me a second. He hopped out of bed, and he went into the living room, leaving Alec alone.

--------------------------------------------------------------

She was lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She had been listening to her parents and her sister argue downstairs. Well, argue was a nice way of putting it. She thought she had learned a few new swear words. She had learned a long time ago just to stay out of it. The screaming continued to drift upstairs, and she caught bits and pieces of their conversation. At some point, her name came up, and she heard her sister laugh bitterly. She closed her eyes, and thought back to when she was younger, and how she had wanted it all to go away.

She heard silence, and then the door slam. A car engine started up, and roared off. Beth storming off, she thought. She heard her mother crying, and she knew that her father would be stalking off to his workshop. His escape from having the illusion of a perfect family snapped. Surprisingly, she heard the phone ring, and a few minutes, a soft tap at the door. "Lisa," her mother's voice came drifting through, "Phone call for you. A young man named Greg."

Her head jerked off the pillow. "Greg?" she asked aloud. She hopped off her bed, and she opened the door. Sure enough, her mother's eyes were red-rimmed, but she had a smile on her face. "I'll take it up here, okay?"

"Sure, honey." The tone implied they had something to talk about when she was through with her phone call. Then her mother went back downstairs.

Lisa picked up the phone in the hallway, and she heard the familiar click as her mother hung up the other phone. "Hello?"

"Hey bookworm. Whatcha up to?"

"Greg? Why are you calling..."

"'Cause you gave me your number, duh? I thought I should use it."

"Okay? So how's your..." He didn't even give her time to finish.

"You want to drive up to Nova Scotia for the weekend?"

"What? I thought you hated Canadians?"

"It's either that, or catch a Sox game. Their playing the Yanks up in Boston. Alec's getting antsy, and he wanted to get out of the city. Thought you'd want to come along." He sounded bored, almost indifferent.

"I'd rather see the Sox game. I hate the Yankees."

"Soooooo, is that a yes?"

She laughed. "It's a yes."

"See ya tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." They were both silent for an awkward moment, not really knowing how to end their conversation. Finally, he just hung up. She placed the phone back in its cradle, a smile playing on her face.

She walked downstairs, where her mother was sitting at the kitchen table. The older woman passed her a cup of tea, which she sipped carefully. She looked into her mother's silvery gray eyes, and she saw the lady smile.

"So, who is this Greg?"

"A guy I met at college. He was a T.A. in one of my classes. He was wondering if I wanted to go catch a baseball with him and a friend." She felt her mother deserved the truth.

"Do you like him?" It was a simple question, but it didn't have a simple answer.

"He's just a friend."

"Med student?"

"Yeah."

"Does he make you happy?" Her mother's eyes sparkled. After all, while she had dated a few boys, none of them had ever stuck around. She always put her studies first.

She paused for a moment, contemplating her answer. Her lips curled into a smile. "He makes life...interesting..."


	13. Chapter 13

May, 1985

The ride up to Hartford was a boring one. He sat, slumped in the passenger seat, of Alec's rust orange Gremlin. He shifted uncomfortably in the bucket seat. The car was not built for someone his height.

Alec, on the other hand, loved his car. "Dude, cut it out," he shot his friend a quick look. "I know you hate this car, but you're gonna have to deal."

"Hate is a mild word...," he muttered. "Look! It doesn't even have a cassette player. How do you survive?" He rolled his eyes, and he reached over to play with the vents.

"It doesn't have air conditioning, either, so don't bother. Just roll your window down."

"Next time, we take my car."

"That would be great, except your car is parked in the apartment parking lot back in Ann Arbor. YOU were the one who suggested we drive to New York together, and that we should use MY car!" He shot another quick scowl. "Besides, admit it, you're just worried about seeing her again."

"I like her, just not that way, man. She's just a friend."

"Just a friend my ass. You practically start drooling whenever someone even mentions the name 'Lisa.' You two seal the deal yet?"

"No," he slumped as far down in his seat as he could. He began to fiddle with the recliner lever.

"No!" Alec hooted. "You're totally hopeless! Ah-hahaha!" he howled with laughter. "Greg 'I'm completely incapable of love and relationships' House has finally met his match."

He glared at his roommate for a long while, then he rolled down his window. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out his pocket, and he lit one up.

Alec's eyes went wide. "No. No...put that damn thing out! You're not smoking in my car!" He swatted at his passenger, weaving in and out of his lane slightly. Blue lights began to flash behind them, and they heard the wail of a siren. "GODDAMN IT, HOUSE!" Alec bellowed, as he flicked on his turn signal. They pulled over, and Alec put his hands on his steering wheel. As the cop pulled up behind them, he turned to him and growled, "You're a dead man."

He just reclined back in his seat, a smug smirk on his face. "You just better hope he doesn't find the weed in my bag." Alec just pounded his forehead on the steering wheel.

------------------------------------------------

When she heard them pull up, it was close to dark. She had spent the day with some friends from High School, but she was beginning to feel herself grow apart from them. Most of them had no plans of going to college, and they couldn't relate to her experiences. They just couldn't imagine intentionally putting themselves through more school.

She had just gotten home herself, and she found her mother sitting at the kitchen table. She walked in, and she saw the hurt in her mother's eyes. "Another fight?" she asked quiety.

"Beth, is...well, Beth," her mother smiled weakly. "And your father is your father. He doesn't understand why she does these things."

"What did she do this time."

"DUI. Your father bailed her out of jail, but she's not grateful. She blames him."

"But, why? What more does she want?" She slid into a chair across from her mother.

The older lady just shook her head. "It's best not to talk of such things." She changed subject, bringing that conversation to a close. "When are your friends coming up?"

"They should be up here sometime tonight. From here, we'll travel up to Boston..."

"Nonsense," her mother straightened. "They'll stay here tonight. One can have the guest room, and we can put the other on the couch. Now, what were their names again?"

Her mother smiled at the feeling that she had put into Greg's name. "Do you think they'll be hungry?"

"Well, I've seen Greg eat an entire pizza by himself, it that means anything."

"Good, I whip something up for them."

She watched her mother bustle around the kitchen with such skill and grace. A skill that she had never been able to manage. She was brought out from her thoughts by a loud knock at the door. "Go get it, Lisa," her mother nodded her on, so she got up, and she answered the door.

He was leaning against the door frame, a sly smile etched on his face. Alec stood further off, and he was definitely upset over something. She looked at him, and she glared. "What did you do?"

"Why is it always me? Now, you coming?"

"Not yet, my mom wants to make sure you guys are well fed," she opened the door, allowing them access to the living room. They two young men walked in, and they both looked around.

He snickered, "This place looks like a set right out of the 'Brady Bunch.' How did you survive?"

"Not without the apron string scars," she muttered. Before she could say more, however, her mother walked out of the kitchen.

"Oh, hello! You must be Lisa's friends from school. I'm Mrs. Cuddy," she walked over to them with a smile.

She rolled her eyes at their grins. "The blond is Alec," she introduced them, "and this idiot is Greg." They shook her hand, and they both mumbled hellos.

"There's some sandwiches in the kitchen. You'll be staying here for the night, of course?"

"Uh, are we?" he gave her a sharp look, which she ignored.

Her mother answered, "of course you are. Help yourselves." She disappeared upstairs.

He turned towards her, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "You never said your mom was Florence Henderson. Where's the rest of the clan?"

She groaned, and she buried her face in her hands. They all headed toward the kitchen, and he started to hum the Brady Bunch theme song.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

She lay in her bed, not really wanting to sleep. The night could have gone better, but it wasn't too terrible, either.

Her mother had greeted her friends warmly, although she could see the disapproval at their attire (well worn jeans and t-shirts, and sneakers) and their hair length, but she was cordial to them. Greg had even gone out of his way to be a gentleman, and he and Alec had helped her clean up.

Her father had come home later, and they all sat around the living room watching Silver Spoons on TV. Then her mother had shown them to the basement guest room. As she and her mother were walking back up the stairs, her mother smiled at her. "They're nice young men." She put extra emphasis on the last word.

"They're my friends," she said, ignoring her mother's innuendo. "They've helped me out a lot at Michigan. They've looked out for me."

"They're also a good bit older than you."

"I'm not dating either of them. We're just going to see a ball game tomorrow." She paused, then observed, "even if I was dating them, they're the same age difference as you and dad."

Her mother smiled. "I met your dad at college, too, you know. He was a law student, and I was just a freshman elementary education major."

"We're not dating," she said firmly, then walked up to her second story bedroom.

Her mother smiled knowingly at her retreating back. She had seen the way that the tall lanky young man with the shaggy hair had been looking at her daughter all night. It was a look that every young woman dreamed of, and every mother dreaded. She smiled, and then she made her own retreat up to own bedroom.

-------------------------------------------------------------

It was in the wee hours of the morning, and she had not been able to sleep. The stress of finishing finals, and then coming home had been giving her insomnia. She normally listened to her radio, but she didn't want to disturb the rest of the house. She tossed and turned fitfully, trying to drift into the realm of Morpheus, but her own mind wasn't letting her.

She heard her door open with a creak, and she sat straight up in her bed. She glanced around, trying to see who the intruder was, but her room was noting but dark shadows. She felt her bed squeak, and his voice came drifting close to her ear, "Shhhhh...Lisa, it's me, Greg."

"Greg," she whispered, "what are you doing in..."

She felt his fingertips lightly press on her lips. "Quiet. Don't want anybody to hear." He removed his fingers, but before she could reply, he replaced them with his lips. She felt her body tense up. What was he up to, but he continued to kiss her softly. She relaxed, and they deepened the kiss. He ran his fingers along her sides, through the t-shirt she slept in. She reached up, and she ran her own fingers through his longish hair, and he moaned softly in her mouth.

She paused, and broke the kiss. "Greg," she whispered hoarsely, "My parents. Next room. They'll hear us."

He simply pulled her onto his lap, and he pulled her tight to his warm body. He intertwined her long dark curls through one of his hands, while the other slid under her shirt. She gasped, and she pulled away slightly. He took advantage of the angle by nuzzling her neck, planting soft kisses along her jawline. "Shhhhh," he whispered, "You know you want this." He bit softly at her neck, causing her to murmur her protests weakly. "You may say no, but you say yes at the same time," he pulled off her night shirt. His long deft fingers dipped into her panties, teasing the soft curls. "I want to see you lose control," he moaned huskily, as he kissed her collarbone. He had said those words to her once before, but she couldn't remember where. Her brain was becoming fuzzy, and she couldn't focus on thoughts or words, just the emotions that were coursing through her system.

Just as she reached for his belt buckle, a loud knocking came from the door. "Lisa! Lisa! Wake up!" her mother called from the other side of the door.

She opened her eyes, and she found that she was lying on her back, looking at the ceiling. Her shirt was still on, and she was alone. The brilliant morning sun was flooding her room, but her heart was still pounding. She blinked her eyes, trying to organize her hormone fueled thoughts. "I'm up Mom," she called back, hoping her voice didn't sound as weak as she thought it did. "Gimme a second!" She sat up, and she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. All she could thing about, was how that was one hell of a dream, and it scared the hell out of her.

--------------------------------------

It was close to 10 am when they began to make their plans to leave. Her parents had already left with her sister, going to the Memorial Day Weekend picnic her father's firm threw every year. They had to leave early to help set it up, leaving her alone with her friends.

He had noticed that she kept looking at him oddly all morning, and how she kept self consciously touching her neck. She was a puzzle, and he liked puzzles. This was going to be fun to figure out.

After packing some things, they went out to where Alec's care was parked. "We're riding in this rust bucket?" she asked, blinking at the sight of his beat-up Gremlin.

"Leave Layla alone!" Alec defended his prized vehicle. "This lady has seen more action than most of the prettier cars."

She looked at him in mild shock, but Greg saved her from making a comment. "Yeah, if by action you mean frequent trips to the mechanic. Oh my god! Maybe she's been cheating on you?" Alec opened his mouth to reply, but he cut him off, "dude, it's just a car. Move on. And Lisa's right; we do need some better wheels."

He turned to her, "what do you drive?"

She shrugged, "I don't have a car, and my parents took their car, so we don't have any other options."

Greg walked over to the garage, and he peeped through one of the windows. "Who's baby is THAT?" he asked with wonder. Inside, was a '70 Firebird. And looked like it was in mint condition.

She walked over to where he was standing, and she looked inside. "Oh, that's my sister's car. A gift from her ex-husband." He simply raised an eyebrow at her, and he walked inside the garage. The keys were still in the ignition.

"All right. I think we've found our ride."

---------------------------------------------------------------

They cruised along the interstate at about 90mph, well over the posted 55 speed limit. He had wanted to go faster, but he had been overruled by her. She said that they needed to get the care back to her sister in one piece. When pressed on why she didn't mind that they had just borrowed her sister's car without asking, but cared about whether or not they wrecked it, she had clammed up. He found that interesting. She was becoming an even bigger puzzle.

They had went to the Sox game, but left very unhappy. The Yankees had once again blown the team out. One of these years, the Sox were going to win that championship, but it wasn't going to be this year. They had lunch at a little hole in the wall diner, and then they had went to a local pub, where it had been his goal to get Alec completely loaded. His roommate didn't drink often, so it had been pretty easy to convince him that a couple of Long Island Iced Teas after some pretty potent Jack and Cokes was a good idea

So, Alec was laying down on the back seat, trying very hard not to be sick. She had warned him that if he was, _she_ would kill him. She was in the front seat, playing the part of his conscience.

They were on the way back to her house after the long day, and she fought to keep her eyes open. She didn't even what to know what he would do once she was asleep, though she could think of more than a few things. _Don't think like that_, she scolded herself. She was trying hard to convince herself that they were just friends.

They were nearing Hartford, and she leaned back in the seat, watching the yellow lines in the road whiz by. She barely noticed him stretching his arm across the back of her seat. "You still with us?" his rough voice asked.

"Mmmmm..?" She blinked, realizing she had just nearly fallen asleep. "Yeah, I'm awake."

"Could've fooled me. I could've taken this baby up to 190 and you'd have never noticed."

"Then why disturb me? It obviously gets in the way of your plans?" she yawned.

"I need your screeching nagging to keep me awake," he tossed her a quick glance, before his eyes flickered back to the road. "Your folks seem nice."

"They are."

"Lawyer and a teacher?"

"Yeah."

"So how did you decide to major in pre-med?" He was quickly becoming tired of her one word answers."

She sighed. "It's always fascinated me. It's a boring story, but I had an appendectomy when I was twelve. The whole process was so interesting, and I decided that I wanted to be a doctor."

"You're right, that is a boring story. Owww." He shot a quick glare at her. "You didn't have to smack me."

"You didn't have to make a smartass comment. I told you that it was a boring story," She stared out the passenger window.

He grinned, and they were silent for the next several miles. It was a comfortable silence. They didn't feel the need to say anything; it just was.

As they pulled closer to her house, she began to feel apprehensive. What had they done? Her sister was going to kill her. Her parents were going to be so disappointed in her. She felt her stomach tense up, and a wave of nausea swept over her.

"You okay?" he asked, worry tinged in his voice.

"I'm fine."

"You're lying." He stole another quick glance at her. "You're worried. It'll all be fine."

"How did you know..."

He rolled his shoulders in a shrug. "It's a talent I have. I can read annoying bookworms' minds."

She suppressed a laugh. "You're just that good, huh?"

"Better," he winked at her. They pulled in front of her house, and he saw the cop car parked in front of it. He saw her tense up. "Follow my lead, okay?" He parked the car, and he took her hand in his. "It'll be okay, I promise."

From the way he said it, she couldn't help but believe him. "Okay."

He turned to the back seat. "Alec, get your drunk ass up. I'm going to jail. Thought you'd wouldn't want to miss it."

The three opened the car doors, only to be met by her parents, her sister, and two police officers. One of the cops spoke up first. "What's going on here. Do you know you're in possession of a stolen vehicle?"

She started to speak, but he silenced her. "Well, duh. 'Cause your looking at the one who _borrowed_ it," he said with a sneer. Alec looked at him, then covered his eyes with his hands. He didn't want to know what his friend was up to.

Her sister shot back, "I want him arrested. I did not give him permission to _borrow_ my car. Which means he stole it!" She turned her attention to her. "And I can't believe you let him do it! You're always doing this, ruining my things, my life!"

Her father stepped in, "Beth, honey. They were just out having a bit of fun. The car's back in one piece. There's no need for this."

"Damn straight," he shouted at her sister. "It was my idea. My plan. Don't put any of this on her. It was just for giggles, sweetheart."

It was him calling her sweetheart that tipped her sister over the edge. "I want him arrested. He stole my car. I'm pressing charges!" The cop shrugged, then began reading him his rights. He looked at her, the wide blue eyes reassuring her silently that it was all going to be okay. They put him in the back of the car, and she heard Alec groan behind her.

"He just can't stop himself." he muttered from behind her. "It's why I keep an emergency bail stash set aside." He smiled weakly at her expression. "It's all you, now. You've got to talk her out of pressing charges."

"You _knew_?" she hissed, under her breath, keeping an eye on her parents, who were arguing with her sister.

"We discussed the possible ramifications of this stunt while you were in the bathroom at the last rest stop. He always seems to know what he's in for." At her hard look, he continued. "We kinda heard your sister and your dad arguing last night after you went to bed. He wasn't happy with some of her comments about you, so he took matters in his own hands, so to speak."

"I can take care of myself," she hissed again.

"Yeah, I know." he nodded toward the cop car, "he wants to take care of you, too."


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N**_

_**I just want to thank everyone for their positive reviews! I'm very glad that you are all enjoying this!**_

December, 2008

It was getting close to the holidays, and he was grumpy. He hated the holiday season. The weather was cold, and it made the ache in his leg hurt worse than usual. Then there were the expectations. The false pretenses of gift giving, the fake smiles and the even more artificial gratitude. It was no wonder he was referred to as the Grinch or Scrooge.

He was sitting in his office, his leg propped up on the ottoman of his lounge chair. He was tossing his red and gray ball against the glass wall of the conference room with his cane. It was the closest he came to his lacrosse days in high school and college. The ball itself was a gift, from Stacy. She had given it to him a joke, since he had went to Michigan. The Ohio State and Michigan rivalry ran deep, though he hadn't been caught up in it while he was there. He still loved that tennis ball, though. It was a reminder of the good days, and he had so few reminders of them, anymore.

"You're really good at that." He jerked his head up, and he nodded at Wilson as he walked into the room. "You up for Thai tonight?"

"We got a date, or something?" He picked up the ball with the hook of his cane again, and he deftly tossed it at a spot on the wall. The ball rolled back toward him, and he used the cane to keep it from getting to far away from me.

"I know Cuddy has a date tonight, and I know that you know that. It's either I babysit you, or you sit in your apartment and drink yourself into stupor." Wilson folded his arms chest, and he watched his friend stand up.

"Then just leave me alone in my wanton depravity." He limped over to his desk.

"Nope. You didn't leave me alone for months. It's payback time." He groaned at that, tapping his fingers on his desk top. He placed the gray and red tennis ball back in its place of honor on his desk, among all his other important knickknacks.

"You could have had a chance with her..."

"I didn't _want_ a chance with her." He was quickly growing frustrated. Wilson had no idea how he felt about Cuddy, and right now, it wasn't anything close to love. More like betrayal.

"Keep deflecting and denying your feelings House. You keep bottling them up like that, and you will explode some day. Just give me fair warning. I don't want to get any on me," Wilson commented dryly, rolling his eyes. "Besides, it's Thursday Night Football, and I have the NFL network and a plasma screen TV, you don't. So, you want Thai, or not?"

"You buying?"

"As always." Wilson couldn't suppress his grin. It felt good to be friends with him again. He missed their one-sided conversations, the sports nights, and the poker games. He missed paying for House's meals and even loaning him money. He even found himself missing the late night phone calls. Now, things were slowly starting to get back to normal.

He looked Wilson in the eye, and he nodded. "I'll see you at 7."

--------------------------------------------------------

Cuddy sat across from her date, sharing a laugh with him. She had enjoyed spending time with Michael, he made her feel like she was the most important person in the world. He asked her about her day, and he expressed concern if something bad happened, instead of telling her to "get over it," like the other man in her life. The only downside was that he was out of town for conferences a lot.

He smiled at her, handsome in his suit. He was perfectly groomed, and he was play the part of the perfect gentleman, but she couldn't help but wonder what he would look like with three days worth of stubble on his jaw.

Even the conversation was becoming boring. He was very agreeable, but he wasn't _challenging_ her. She wanted to argue with him, to get him to disagree with her, but it wasn't working. _I'm sitting here, with every woman's dream, and all I can do is think of House_, she thought to herself. However, she was determined to have a good time

"So, what exactly do you do as Dean of Medicine. Most of your stories seem to revolve around contacting donors and babysitting House?" He sipped his wine, trying to figure her out. She was very reserved, and it seemed like her mind was elsewhere.

She laughed. "You've pretty much guessed it. That's really all I do. I also attend Board meetings, and I work on budget reports. Oh yeah," she laughed again, "I assign parking places." She picked at her salad.

"You don't practice anymore?" He was intrigued. She had always wanted to practice.

She shook her head. "My practice took a back seat to my ambition. Maybe if and when I step down, I can go back to practicing." She smiled weakly.

"You like your job. You like being Dean."

"It doesn't take a House to figure that out," she laughed. She pushed her salad around some more on her plate.

"You know, it's really hard to get to know you, they way I want to, with that "other guy" in the room."

She jerked her head up, and she looked at him, shock mixed with confusion. "He's just an..."

He put his napkin down, and he stood up. "An employee, I know. Lisa, I like you. I like you a lot. I'd like it to be more, but until you can devote yourself to just me, I can't deal with this duality. I feel like I'm the other man in this relationship. When you do decide, you know where to contact me." He got up and left her alone in the restaurant.

She slumped back in her seat, and she willed herself not to cry.


	15. Chapter 15

He had just left Wilson's apartment, and he was trying to clear his head. So much was happening so fast. His father dying, Cuddy having a relationship, Wilson returning, and he was having trouble adjusting. He never liked change, but change always seemed to find him. He drove slowly along the snow covered streets of Princeton, trying to plan out what he was going to do about it.

He had a relatively enjoyable evening at Wilson, who was going out of his way to distract him. They watched the Patriots pummel the Jets, yet again. They drank some beer, shouted insults at Bill Belichick, and groaned when their quarterback threw yet another interception. Sometimes it was good to pretend that he was just a normal guy, the kind of guy that liked football, and beer, and could have a relationship with someone that wasn't as screwed up as he was.

He pulled up to his usual parking spot, and he limped heavily toward the door. The ache in his thigh had been steadily growing through the night, but he tried to limit his vicodin dosage in front of Wilson. He didn't want to get into an argument over his pain management, not with Wilson. He felt like things were just getting back to normal, but things were still fragile.

He sighed heavily, leaning on his cane. He opened the outer door to his apartment building, and the went to open his door. He touched the handle, and the door popped open. He frowned, knowing that he had locked it when he left for work. He gripped his cane handle, and he prepared for the worst. He pushed the door open, and his eyes widened in surprise at the sight that had greeted him.

She was sitting at his piano, fingering the keys lightly. Her eyes were closed, and a bottle of his best scotch was sitting on top of his piano. A half full scotch glass was sitting next to it. Her eyes were closed, and he could tell she was lost in the music. He smiled. It was a simple little tune, one that he had taught her long ago. He relaxed his grip on his cane, and he sat down the arm of his couch, just listening to her light playing; his pain momentarily forgotten.

---------------------------------------------------

After Micheal had left the restaurant so rudely, she realized she didn't want to go back to her empty house. She was so down, she was libel to slit her wrists. She sat there for a moment, then she rose. She paid the check, and she got behind the wheel of her Prius, wondering where she should go now.

She thought about going to a bar, then she thought of some place better. She parked about a block away from his apartment, and she walked carefully along the snow covered sidewalk. She felt along the door frame, and she found the spare key. She let herself inside, and she looked around. This was his private sanctuary. To the untrained eye, it looked disorganized, but she knew that everything was exactly where he wanted it to be.

She set down her purse, and she took off her coat. She had worn a slim red dress that accentuated all of her best features. She kicked off her matching red heels, and she looked for his liquor cabinet. She found a bottle of 18 year scotch, obviously something he was saving for a special occasion, so she poured herself a generous glass.

She walked around the room, taking in his presence. It was everywhere. This was truly his domain. She made her way to the piano, his prized piano, and she sat down on the bench. She lightly touched the keys, playing a scale that he had taught her long ago. He had taken her to a music room on campus, and spent the evening teaching her how to play. She would never be as good as him, and it was a skill she had never used, but she remembered the keys, the notes that she needed to play. She closed her eyes, and she became lost in her music, wishing he was here, playing, and she was the one listening.

------------------------------------------------

She heard someone cough, and she jerked her head up. She saw him sitting on the arm of his couch, staring at her with those brilliant blue eyes. She swallowed, and she waited for him to speak first. It took several minutes, but he finally spoke. "You owe me a bottle of good scotch."

She had to fight the laugh the boiled up with in her. "Put it on my tab...or just consider it payback for all the times I've had to bail you out of trouble with the Board." She stood up, suddenly aware of the low cut of her dress.

His eyes traced her body, then snapped up to hers. "Date go sour?" He lifted an eyebrow. "He must be gay."

"Why do you say that," her cheeks felt hot under his intense gaze. She tried not to think about the disastrous dinner.

"'Cause if he was straight, he should have wanted to fuck you like your the last woman on Earth." He didn't move closer to her, but she could tell he wanted to."

"I'll just take that as your way of saying I look good..."

"Why are you here?"

She sighed at his harsh tone. "I didn't want to be alone..." _Because I couldn't keep my mind off you all night. Because...I can't stop thinking about you..._ She cursed her subconscious for voicing those thoughts that she had tried to keep suppressed.

"I do. Want to be alone, that is." He rubbed his thigh. Why did this damn devil woman have to keep teasing him. Seducing him.

"Do you want me to leave?"

He couldn't even nod. He just kept staring at her. Despite his harsh tone, she knew that he was intrigued.

She picked up her purse. "I'll just go now..." She moved toward her purse and coat on the couch.

He caught her arm. "I'll never make you happy." He met her eyes, and intensely stared into them."

She sighed, "I don't think I want happy." She gathered her belongings and left.

He limped over to the piano, and he sat down on the still warm bench, and he helped himself to the left over scotch in her glass. He began to play _her_ song, wishing that he could be the man he thought she wanted him to be.


	16. Chapter 16

"You kicked her out! Are you out of your mind?" Wilson's voice had reached an irritating pitch. He looked at his friend, who stood just inside of the office. His hands were on his hips, and he had narrowed his eyes. "What more do you want her to do? Show up at your place naked with friends?"

"As nice as that sounds, I wouldn't want her to bring her friends over. Have you seen them? She used to be friends with Stacy, you know. Besides, she's got the new boy toy to make her happy." _And she's not going to be happy with me_. He slumped in his desk chair, frowning at his friend. He was barely in control of his emotions, and Wilson was not helping him calm down. Just the opposite, he was making him rethink his actions last night.

"And how long have you two known each other?" Wilson lifted an eyebrow. "You two have been dancing around each other since I've known you, and now, you tell her to leave you alone? You're hopeless." He threw his hands up in frustration.

He just narrowed his eyes, and he shook his head. Wilson didn't get it. He'd never get it. "Do you have anything better to do than give me relationship advice. I've succeeded more than you."

"Oh ho hoo. If by succeeded, you mean you've managed to keep yourself isolated and miserable, then by all means, take that title." Wilson rolled his eyes.

"Isolated and miserable trumps together and miserable. I've never crashed on your couch over a girl." He reached for his cane, and he stood up. "Although, I missed having a live-in housekeeper." He made his way towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Wilson quickly realized his friend was up to something.

"Clinic."

"But you hate the Clinic." he was puzzled.

"Exactly. It'll be the last place that she'll look for me." A sly half smile crept across his face

Wilson's jaw dropped. "Oh, god, House! What did you do?" He followed the man out into the hall, dreading the answer to that question.

-------------------------------------------------------------

She made her way down the hall, the sounds of her heels clicking echoed off the walls. She peered into his office, wondering where he was. His team was off running tests, and it was getting close to three in the afternoon. He should have been sitting in his office, watching General Hospital on T.V.

She frowned, and then she headed next door to Wilson's office. If anyone knew where he was hiding, his best friend would know. She knocked on the door, then she opened it. He was siting at his desk, looking over some files. "Yes Cuddy?" he asked, a look of wide-eyed innocence on his face. "What can I do for you?"

"Where is he?" She gave him her own piercing glare. He wondered if she knew how potent that glare really was.

"I don't know," he knew he was a poor liar, but he tried anyway. He leaned forward, and he gave her a slight bewildered smile. "He's not in his office? It's almost time for General Hospital to come on."

She smirked at him, "If he was there, do you really think I'd be here?"

Wilson sighed, "I guess not. Check all his usual hiding spots?"

"Again, would I be here?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "He told you, didn't he."

He stared at her for a second. "In his own way, he was telling you that he wanted you."

"He kicked me out," she blushed, something she didn't do often. She was ashamed of her behavior from the previous night.

Wilson stood up, and he walked over to her. "Yes, he did. Because he knew that the only reason you were there was because you had been hurt." She looked up at him, and he smiled. "Cuddy," he said softly, "he just doesn't know how to constructively address his feelings. Give him time."

She shook her head. "I've given him twenty years, James."

"Then you just need to hang in there. He'll realize it someday."

"But, what if I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of the games. I just want...." she sighed, not wanting to continue.

"You know, a great philosopher once said, 'You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might get what you need." He grinned at her.

"And that gets you laid?" She chuckled weakly, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Hasn't failed yet," he laughed. "I have to finish these reports before my boss yells at me."

"Those department budget projections that you never fail to turn in before the deadline?"

"Gotta impress the boss, because a fellow department head will for certainty turn his reports in a few months late."

Suddenly, her eyes grew wide. "Thank you, Wilson. I know where he is now." She left the office without giving him a chance to say goodbye. She went to the elevator, and pressed the down button. She had an arrogant doctor to talk to.

---------------------------------------

He was in an exam room at the clinic, playing his PSP. He had just crashed his car again, when he heard the exam room's door knob being tried. He sat up quickly, and the door opened. When he saw her come in, he smiled slyly. She had a feral smile on her face. "Ready or not, here I am." she stared at him, her eyes glittering dangerously.

He looked around, and he decided to call her bluff. "If you want to jump me, I'd be okay with that." He grinned, "But I think you should be quieter this time. We don't want the entire hospital to know what's going on, now do we." He winked at her.

She shut the exam room door, and the click echoed in the room. "You're not funny."

The grin disappeared from his face, "I was being serious."

"You want to take me to the faculty New Years Eve party? You hate anything that has to do with faculty or parties or me. Especially after last night." She blinked a few times, refusing to believe that he was serious. "And you didn't have to send a mass e-mail to the entire hospital telling them, that you were going to accompany me."

"Would you have believed me if I had just asked you?" He twirled his cane in his fingers, never taking his eyes off of hers.

"House," she sighed. "Enough of the games. You want me, or you don't. You show up at my house, you drive away my dates, and when I finally give in, you tell me to leave. I have to...no, I need to move on. And so do you."

"This isn't a game..."

"It's always a game. Always...even back in college. You'll never stop playing them..."

"Neither will you." He stood up and he fixed his gaze on her. "You love the games as much as I do. You just lie to yourself, telling yourself that you don't like them, but you would miss them, if I ever stopped playing them." His eyes twinkled as he spoke to her.

"You really think that, don't you?" she tried to hold back her laughter.

"Think," he grinned, "Someone once told me that I don't think, I know." He reached around her for the door handle. "So, I'll pick you up at eight?"

"A – the party's not for two weeks, so that gives you plenty of time to wiggle out of it. And, B – I haven't agreed I'll go with you."

He tilted his head to one side. "But you will."

She didn't answer his question; she just smiled. "Anyway, you owe me."

"Owe you? How...?"

She pressed a folder to his chest. "Clinic Duty. You've not done any this week. 15 hours. Starting now." She turned and left, leaving him in stunned silence.

------------------------------------------------------

It was late in the night, and she was settled back on the couch, channel surfing. She rarely had time to watch much TV, but she loved to watch the late night shows. She wore her pajamas, and she was drinking a glass of wine, trying to wrap her head around what House had done.

A date. In his own backhanded way, he had finally asked her out. She was trying to wrap her mind around that. It was a paradox. She felt like should be happier. Hadn't they played this particular game before, and hadn't it ended on uncertain terms? She puzzled over the thought.

She heard a knocking at the door, and she frowned. She checked the clock, and she groaned. She got off the couch, and she went to the door, thinking that a limping man would be there. She opened the door, and she gasped. "Micheal? What are you doing here?"

He shifted nervously on her doorstep. "Look, I was an ass the other night," he blanched at her glare. "More than that.... You could call me ever foul name in the book, and that would describe my actions. I'm sorry. I could give you a dozens excuses, but that wouldn't work. I just wanted to apologize. If you never want to see me again, I understand."

She was shocked. "I...," she stammered. "You made me feel like a fool," she began, still hurt by his actions. "If you want me to forgive you, it's going to take more than a midnight apology." She was struck, suddenly. If this had been House, she would have rolled her eyes, and forgiven him in a heartbeat.

"Okay...I still just wanted you to know." He turned dejectedly towards his car.

She stood there, not knowing what to do. Part of her still valued him as a friend, the other part was still angry at how he had treated her. She sighed. "Michael," he turned towards her. "You have a lot of making up to do. Make sure you don't screw it up again."

"What are you doing New Years?" he asked, hope resonating in his voice.

She smiled, "I've got a date." She slammed the door shut, a smile on her face.


	17. Chapter 17

"You owe her, man." His roommate's voice echoed in his ears. "C'mon, help me with this." Alec growled at him. They were moving into their new apartment, this time, an old house just off campus. He picked up the end of their couch, and he maneuvered it through the door.

"I do not 'owe her'," he growled back through gritted teeth. The couch was heavier than he remembered.

"She got her sister to drop the charges..." Alec stopped talking as they maneuvered the large piece of furniture up the stairs.

"Not my fault that she's got a bitch for a sister. We were just having some fun. She needs to grow a sense of humor."

"Dude, you like her, she likes you! Get over yourself, and just ask her out, you know, like a normal person would."

"Normal is overrated." They forced the couch through the doorway, and put it down in the middle of the living room.

"Thank God this is the last time we have to do this," Alec through him a wicked grin. "After this year, no more couches patched with duct tape! And stop deflecting. If she's into you, she's not normal, either."

He rolled his eyes. "Just because we're nearly finished with med school doesn't put an end to crappy apartments and cheap furniture. We've still got our residencies to do." He flopped down on the couch. "And I agree, she's weird. Exactly why I shouldn't date her." _I shouldn't be dating anybody. Fucking, yes, dating, no._

"Yeah, I know we still have our residencies, but I won't have to do them with you! I'm getting as far away from you as I possibly can! Oh, my god! Just think, I'll be able to sleep through the night without getting a late night phone call from either the cops or you. It'll be a blessing!" Alec teased him before pushing him off the couch. "And yeah, she's weird, which makes her perfect for you!"

"Sleep? Haha! Not for a while, pal! If you wanted sleep, you shouldn't have become a doctor!" He staggered through the doorway.

Alec rolled his eyes, and he followed his roommate out the door.

-----------------------------------------------

She was moving her stuff into her new apartment. Her roommate from the dorms, and their friend Jessica had rented a little three bedroom house not far from campus. It was the perfect place for her, out of the near prison like setting of the dorms.

Kim looked around. "We need some help getting the rest of the furniture into the house," she motioned to the three desks and the couch on the lawn. Jessica's brothers had unloaded their trucks, but then they had to go, leaving the three girls to handle the rest themselves.

Jessica flipped her long teased blond hair over her shoulder. "How about those guys. Hey, isn't that the guy that T.A.'d your anatomy class, Lisa?" she shot her a teasing grin. "We should ask them for help."

Kim nodded. "Yeah, you should totally ask them for help, Lise."

She rolled her eyes, and then with apprehension building up in her stomach, she went over to ask the guys to help them move the rest of their furniture in.

-----------------------------------------------

The two men were sitting on their front porch, sipping from beer bottles. "Whatcha think of our new neighbors, G-man?" Alec asked with a wink.

He looked at the three skinny blonds moving boxes into the house across the street. "Hot, but I go more for brunettes." _Preferably those with bigger brains than tits._ He took a drink from the bottle, all the while keeping an eye on the girls across the street.

"Dude, you say that, but you'll screw any pretty girl that puts the moves on you," Alec laughed.

"Not true. I turned down that girl from Northwestern down at Mark's party last semester." His eyes never left the tallest blond, who came their way.

"Only because her boyfriend was there. You know, the All American linebacker." He grinned at the girl as she approached.

"Yup. I prefer life. It's the only one I've got. That guy could've flattened me like a bug."

"Yeah, but you didn't have to let the air out of the guys tires, either."

"I didn't slash them. He should be happy that I just stole the caps." The girl was in their front yard.

The girl got to the porch. "Hi! I'm Sarah. We're having a party in about an hour. You two should totally come." She looked him up and down. "And don't forget to bring the beer." She winked at him before turning and walking away. He tilted his head to the side as he watched her walk away. Well he watched a certain part of her anatomy as she walked away.

Alec laughed at him. "You are such an ass, man."

He shrugged. "We've gotta go."

"To do what?" Alec asked, confused.

"Gotta pick up some beer for those chicks." He winked at Alec before going inside.

Alec rolled his eyes, then followed his friend inside.

----------------------------------------------

"Thanks for helping us, Michael." She pushed the loose tendrils of hair back from her face.

"No problem, Lisa," he smiled at her. "How was your summer?"

"Okay. It's good to be back here."

"Excellent. Look, a couple of the guys and I are going to a party tonight. You should come with us, relax. It'll be the last time to do so before classes start." He flashed her a brilliant smile.

She paused for a moment. She hadn't heard from Greg since Memorial Day weekend. Maybe getting out more would be a good thing. "Sure! Give me a chance to get changed."

"Excellent. I'll see you in a while." They said their goodbyes, and she went inside, wondering if she had made the right decision.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The cute little blond had been flirting with him all night. He was smiling, watching as she would brush up against him at any chance, or how she would wiggle her ass as she walked away from him. He could appreciate such things.

"You're gonna get into trouble," Alec muttered, coming up beside him. The gray eyes of his roommate met his blue eyes, and he turned away quickly, but not quick enough. "Dude, give it up. She digs you, but it'll be a one-night and your done thing."

"I like the idea of one night stands. Not commitment issues." His eyes followed the blond girl as she worked the room.

"You're an ass. How do keep attracting the hotties." Alec's eyes followed the young woman, too.

"I'm complicated. Chick's dig complicated. Even more than they dig the blue eyes and the great bod." he raised an eyebrow a his friend and grinned.

"And why haven't you come down with the clap yet," Alec sighed, rolling his eyes.

"This great twentieth century invention, the condom. No bastards, no STD's. It's a win-win."

"At least you're responsible..." Alec trailed off as a tall redhead walked by in daisy duke shorts and a bikini top.

"Ha! I'm not the only one distracted by a pretty....face."

"What's your girl gonna say?"

"What girl. We're not dating, nor should we. I'm too young to be tied down."

"You're twenty-six, and nearly done with med school. You should be thinking of..."

"No, I shouldn't, because I leave at the end of the year. She's still here." He glanced at his friend. "It's not fair, to either of us. We'd visit each other occasionally, maybe a few phone calls, then...," he lowered his voice, "we drift apart. Friends are one thing, but we can't take it farther than that."

"You really haven't thought about this at all," his voice dripped with sarcasm.

The blond came by again, and she smiled at him. He threw Alec a grin. "We're only young once," He left Alec standing there, shaking his head, as he followed the blond out of the room.

---------------------------------------------------

She walked into the house party, feeling alone. Michael was definitely going out of his way to be a gentleman, but she was already bored by that routine. He wasn't going to be anything but a gentleman, and she wanted something more, something bolder.

She scanned the room, and she saw all sorts of happy couples crowded in the room. The Police was blaring from the stereo in the corner, and she made her way around the room. There were many people she didn't know, but that didn't stop her from talking to them anyway. She had become much more confident in the past year, and striking up a conversation with someone new now came much easier to her.

A very good looking guy came up and began to flirt with her. He was a little shorter than guys she found herself attracted to, but he had an energy that she was drawn to. She stood there, talking for several minutes, getting lost in the moment and enjoying herself.

----------------------------------------

Alec looked up from the girl he was chatting with, and he saw her from across the room. For a moment, he'd forgotten that he was talking to someone, until he heard her voice ask "So, can I touch it?"

He nearly did a spit take on the watered down drink he had. His voice rose a half an octave. "Can you touch what?"

The girl got a funny look on her face. "Your hair, you perv. It's okay, I don't want to now," she sneered as she walked away. He sighed, he had the worst luck with women.

He turned his attention back to Lisa, who's confidence had grown since the last time he had seen her, but she had been confident then, too. He couldn't believe that Greg was so blind that he couldn't see just what he had in front of him.

He wondered if he should go and seek her out, but he decided that being a fly on the wall was a much better idea. He knew that he wanted to see the fireworks that were sure to come

---------------------------------------------

A little while later, she saw Micheal walking over to her. "Having fun?" he asked.

"Yeah." She hummed under her breath to the music. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Upstairs, second door to the left."

"Alright. Thanks. I'll be back in a second." She headed upstairs.

---------------------------------------------

He had followed the blond girl upstairs, and she pulled him into a small room. She immediately began kissing him, pushing him back into a chair. He almost laughed at her aggressiveness. She straddled his lap, and they began making out.

He had lost track of time, and he didn't know how long he had been in the room. She started to pull his t-shirt over his head, and the door burst open. He jumped up, thinking it was a boyfriend, and he needed to quickly figure out how he was going to get out of this mess. He was shocked to see her standing there.

Her gray-blue eyes flew open as she had opened the door, expecting to find the bathroom. She quickly realized that she this was the door on the right, not left. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she quickly shut the door, her face red with embarrassment. She quickly headed back down the stairs.

He picked up the t-shirt from the floor, and he put it back on. The girl looked shocked, and she stuck out her lower lip in a pout. "Just because we were interrupted doesn't mean we can't finish what we started." She rubbed up against him.

He looked at her, bored. "That's exactly what it means," he told her coolly, and then he left her alone in the room. He felt the need to explain himself to her. But you didn't do anything wrong, he told himself. But he couldn't get the look on her face out of his mind.

-----------------------------------------------

She was walking out the door when he caught up to her. Not wanting to make a scene in front of a bunch of strangers, he followed her out into the parking lot "Lisa," he began.

She smiled weakly at him. "Don't try to rationalize this. We're not together. You have every right to explore other options."

"Explore other options?," he asked with a slight grin. "Well, the option I want to explore keeps slipping from my hand."

"So you fill your hand with hot and blond." she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Only because hot, smart and brunette keeps me at arms length." He took a step closer.

"Maybe because hot, smart, and brunette realizes that you are dangerous, and she thinks you should have a warning from the surgeon general tattooed somewhere on your body."

"Oh, but you like dangerous. You like different, but you want classic. All girls like James Dean, but they settle for Mr. Brady. It's why you're in there with Mr. Boring."

"Are you comparing yourself to James Dean?" she asked with a smile.

"Got my own motorcycle and everything." he winked at her.

She smiled, and he leaned in to kiss her, but she pushed him away. "Sorry, I don't like leftovers. You want me, you gotta prove it." With that, she walked away. He felt a grin creep across his face. He loved a challenge...


	18. Chapter 18

September, 1985

"I'll be so glad when this year's over," Alec groaned, tossing his backpack on a chair.

"Mmph," he answered him, shuffling a deck of cards. "What do they have you T. this semester?"

Alec pulled up a folding a chair to the card table. "the anatomy class they had you T. last semester. What about you?"

"Barton's Infectious Disease class." He didn't look up from his shuffling.

"That's right up your alley, right? Infectious disease? I heard you aced Stein's class at Hopkins, without cheating." He grinned at his roommate.

"It's okay," he shrugged with feigned indifference, knowing that Alec wouldn't read into his true feelings.

"Heading to the library tonight? She'll probably be there."

"Who, the shrieking harpy? Can't go. I've got a game tonight." He kept shuffling his cards.

"Here?"

"Yeah," he grinned at Alec, "Carter was shooting off his mouth about how he had won his frat's poker tournament last night. You'd think that he was a high roller, so I casually offered the opportunity to prove his skills over here."

"You bullied and insulted him into coming here so you could humiliate him some more." Alec rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, that's basically it."

"You're going to hell, and you know this, right?"

"If by hell you mean off to do my residencies, then yeah," he grinned at his friend.

"Anybody else coming over?"

"Nah, but I bet Carter brings some of his frat buddies. If he wins, he'll want someone there to brag to, and if he loses, he'll want to have someone help him kick my ass." He rolled his eyes.

Alec shook his head. "Then I should stick around just in case I need to clean your blood from the carpet?"

"Yeah, I'll need the Mr. Nice Guy of med school to keep my back." He lazily shuffled the cards again.

"You know, one of these days, you're gonna play one of these games, and you're gonna lose." He looked him in the eyes.

"I never lose."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was walking toward the office of her microbiology T.A. She had only had one class, but she already had questions to ask. She passed Micheal's office, and she heard voices drifting from inside. She paused when she heard Greg's name come up.

"So, that asshole invited you to his poker game. What the hell is up with that?"

"Dunno. All I know is, I'm going to take his money. Besides, it was more of a challenge than it was an invitation. He thinks he's god around this place. We need to take him down a peg."

"Who is he? I mean, he's just another med student, right?" She realized she was hearing Joey, Jessica's boyfriend.

"Yeah," she heard Michael say. "He's just another med student, but he's some kind of fucking genius or something. He thinks that just because he's smarter than everybody, he can treat them like shit."

"Sounds like a loser."

"Yeah, he's the guitarist of the band you booked last winter."

"Oh, yeah. He acted like he had some sort of god complex. He acted like he owned the place. B1tched constantly about the stage."

"Yeah, and now we're gonna show him that he's not god. He's just a punk who thinks that because he's got brains and an attitude, that he can push anyone around."

She had heard enough. She knew that he had a point, that Greg did have a certain way with relating to people that caused him to get into more trouble than it was worth, but she didn't like how they were seemingly plotting against him. She knew that he had made enemies around the department; she had heard other T.A.'s and professors talk about him. She left the building, her microbiology question forgotten.

-------------------------------------------

It was around eight o'clock, and he heard a loud knocking at the door. He opened it, and he saw Michael and some other little frat boy doing his best imitation of Crockett from Miami Vice. He grimaced when he saw the pink t-shirt underneath the white blazer. No man should ever wear pink.

"You're early." he commented mildly, a beer in his hand.

"We're ready when you are," Micheal narrowed his eyes at him.

He grinned at the two men. "Let the games begin."

He showed them to the card table, and Alec began to shuffle the deck.

"Huh-uh," Micheal shook his head. "We deal first. No offense, but I can't trust a cheater with the cards."

He narrowed his eyes, but he nodded at Alec to give Micheal the cards. "Whatever you say, Mikey. We'll play by your rules. I don't need to cheat to beat an amateur like you." He grinned lazily at them. "Besides, you've not introduced me to your friend."

"Joey, Greg." He nodded to Alec. "Alec. Now, give me the damn cards."

He slammed the cards down on the table in front of Micheal. "Here ya go, Mikey."

"It's Micheal." he growled out through gritted teeth.

"Sorry Mikey," his grinned wider. He couldn't help tweaking the tiger's tail.

Before Micheal could respond, another knock came echoing from the door.

"Who else did you invite?" Micheal practically spat the question at him.

He shrugged, "You're mother."

Alec rolled his eyes. "No one." He kicked Greg's knee from under the table. "Get the damn door."

"Getting it, getting it. Jesus, you're worse than a woman." He got up from his chair, and he opened the door. He couldn't hide his shock. "Lisa?"

He couldn't believe she was standing there. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be studying somewhere," he hissed, keeping his voice low.

She smiled smugly. "Embarrassed that I'm here? Gee, I wonder why that is." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and put a hand on her hip. "Are you going to invite me in, or not?" she asked flirtatiously.

His eyes trailed down her body. Normally, she wore the usual college student's uniform of jeans, sneakers, and a fitted t-shirt. Tonight, she was a dream in a short, but not too short denim skirt that hugged her hips and bottom, heels, and a low cut top. Her dark curls had been teased and styled, and she wore just enough make up to accent her exotic features. He smiled to himself; she looked good.

He grinned. "You know, there is a concept of the boy's night out," but he opened the door wider. His blue eyes met her blue-gray ones, and she silently reassured him that all was fine. She walked into the living room, and he couldn't help but admire how her skirt clung to her bottom so well. He shook his head, and he wondered what she was up to.

She smiled as she thought of the shocked look on his face. She wanted to dress flirtatiously, but not slutty. She thought she had pulled it off well. After hearing Micheal and Joey talking in the office, she knew that she needed to do something, but what? She had formulated a plan, and she had come over to his house. Now was the time to act.

Micheal's eyes grew wide as she approached the table. "Lisa? What are you doing here?" His jaw fell open. Joey's eyes narrowed at her, but he didn't say anything. Alec quickly hopped up to get her a chair.

"Hi Lisa," he greeted her, grabbing a folding chair from another room. "What brings you out here tonight." He grinned at her.

Greg just groaned. "She's obviously after my balls." The entire room became quiet, and Alec quickly disguised his laughter at coughing. Greg just looked at him, the laughter reflecting in his eyes.

She just smiled coyly, and she stated, "I borrowed one of the tennis balls he keeps in his office. I'm sure he has more he'd like to share with me." She winked at Greg, then she sat down in between Alec and Joey. "So, what's the game, boys."

Micheal was incredulous. "You're going to play?" His raised his eyebrows at her.

"Sure she is, Mikey," he grinned. "It is the 80's; women can do all sorts of things. Drive cars, go to med school, play poker, all while stripping on the side...Oww." He leaned down to rub his shin. "Just because you're sitting across from me doesn't give you the right to kick me." He glared playfully at her.

"Just because I'm wearing a skirt doesn't give you the right to make stripper comments at me." She bantered back.

"I've got a pole upstairs. Maybe you could show off your skills." he offered. He glanced over at Micheal and Joey, who were both obviously embarrassed by their conversation. "Give 'er the cards, Mikey. Let's see what Little Miss Vegas can do." He sat back in his chair, as if to say, your move.

"You couldn't handle my pole skills." she deadpanned. She shuffled the cards expertly, and she dealt the first hand.

Micheal coughed. Joey didn't know what to make of the whole situation. Alec grinned, and he couldn't get over the smug looks on both Greg and Lisa's faces. Greg raised an eyebrow at her, "You'd be surprised at what I can handle."

"Good. Next time, I'll bring the handcuffs." She winked at him.

Micheal quickly looked at his cards. "Let's get this game started," he choked out. He didn't like what he was hearing from them, but he told himself that he shouldn't be that surprised at Greg's actions. After all, that man was just a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen. What shocked him was Lisa's actions. She was always the confident student, but this brazen flirting wasn't something he had envisioned her doing.

She had plenty more tricks up her sleeves. They were playing for cash, not chips, and soon a small pile of bills began to pile up in front of her. Joey was the first one to leave the game. Alec was next, claiming that Greg had already fleeced him of enough of his cash, but they both watched. She proved herself to be good enough to hang with the big boys, and she knew that she had Micheal sweating bullets.

Greg watched her keenly across the table. He had already figured out Micheal's tells, and now he was just toying with the man. She, on the other hand, was a mystery. Every time he thought he figured her out, she would change, or do something to surprise him.

She picked up her cards, and saw two queens. She kept her face blank, and she tossed in a few bills, but not enough to make them think she had a good hand. She leaned back in her chair, and sipped her drink, trying hard to not give anything away.

"I call," he stated bluntly. He looked at his cards, a Jack, a two, and a King. He was bluffing, but he hoped he could make her fold.

Micheal slammed his cards down on the table. "I'm out. Done. You win." He glared at House. He motioned to Joey. "Let's go."

Joey shook his head, mesmerized. "Nah man, I wanna see how this ends."

Greg raised his eyes, and he took a puff on the cigar he had clenched between his teeth. "Sit down, Mikey. Be a man, and watch how the pros play." He tossed all of his bills on the table. "Your move, sweetheart. Remember, you promised to show me some of your pole skills after the game."

She smiled slyly at him. "My pole skills are none of your concern." Her steel colored eyes met his, and she held his gaze for a long moment. It took Alec clearing his throat to get them to snap out of their silent communication. She grinned at him. "Turn the cards over, stud."

First was the Jack of Spades, then the Queen of Hearts. "Checkmate."

"Wrong game." He tossed his cards down on the table, but he wasn't angry. "Well played."

She smiled at her take. "Next time you two want to have a p1ssing contest over me, remember that I can take care of myself." She gathered up her take, and she put it in her purse.

Micheal and Joey mumbled their goodbyes, and they left. Alec disappeared to another room. They stared for another long moment at each other, and she saw the respect and admiration in his eyes. He grinned at her. "Just gonna take my money and run?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"I have some ideas. They involve a pole..." he trailed off, looking down her blouse.

"Keep dreaming," she whispered, moving closer to him, "because maybe, if you wish really, really hard, it'll come true." She rose up on her tip-toes, and she brushed her lips across his. Before he could react, she slipped across the door and out the door.

He grinned like a fool. What had he done to deserve someone as cunning as he was...


	19. Chapter 19

December, 2008

He heard a knock at his apartment door, and he let out a groan. He reluctantly rose to his feet, and he limped over to answer it. He opened the door, and he grumbled, "here to check up on me?"

Wilson entered the apartment. "You're still not ready? We have to be there in an hour."

"Since when do I show up on time for anything." He returned to the couch, and he picked up the remote.

"Do I detect the smell of cold feet?" Wilson grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"Only if my closet door is open," he answered, not looking at his friend.

"House, you've had two weeks to back out of this, don't do it tonight. She's not going to wait forever for you. This may be the final nail in the coffin for you two." He placed his hands on his hips and he stared down his friend.

"There never was an us," he got to his feet again. "And before you get on your soapbox, I'll be there tonight." He glared at his friend. Then he limped to his bathroom.

Wilson rolled his eyes, and he sat down on the couch, satisfied with the response he had gotten from his friend. He grinned to himself, and he picked up the remote. He watched T.V. as he heard House's shower run. About thirty minutes later, he saw his friend exit in black dress slacks and a white button down shirt. He was fumbling with the bow tie. "I hate these damn things," he growled.

Wilson smiled. "You look good. She'll appreciate it."

He narrowed his eyes, "She appreciates torture? I always knew those whips and chains in her closet meant something. Do ya think she'll give me a session for doing this?"

Wilson made a face, "I don't want to know," he mumbled, turning red.

"Sure ya do, Jimmy! Chase already has a pool going on how long it's gonna take to for you to show up in my office asking for details. I can cut you in..." he grinned at his friend, who rolled his eyes.

"Chase has a pool going? Why doesn't that surprise me. Your tie's lopsided."

"Chase also has a pool going on whether or not I'm gonna ditch her tonight. I'm hoping to earn a grand on that one." He retied the bow tie. He stared at the mirror for a second, wondering when he had gotten so old. There were more lines on his face, and his stubble was shot with far more gray then he remembered.

He sighed, "Why does she want an old bastard like me?"

Wilson looked up from the T.V. "She wants you," he said simply.

He grabbed his jacket, and he glared at his friend, working up his trademark scowl. "Let's get this over with," he grumbled.

--------------------------------------------------------

She stood in the foyer of the hospital, greeting her employees. She knew all the department heads and most of the doctors by name. She knew most of the head nurses, but not all of the others. She stood there, her professional smile plastered on her face. She wondered if she was going to get stood up. She wouldn't put it past him to run away, like he had so many times before.

She looked up, and her heart momentarily fluttered in her chest. He came in, grump looking as always. He leaned on a shiny black cane, and he looked good in his wrinkle free suit and jacket. She frowned, and she walked over to him, her blue heels clicking over the tile floor. "You came," she said with a smile.

"Not yet," he greeted her with a lascivious grin.

Wilson rolled his eyes. "I'll leave you two alone," he muttered, and he turned to walk away.

"That nurse in psych is here," House called after him. "The single one with the huge...," he caught her glare, and with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he finished, "ego."

She shook her head, and she watched Wilson slink away embarrassed. "You enjoyed that," she scolded him lightly.

"I always enjoy tormenting my bestest buddy." He looked her up and down, then he met her steel colored eyes with his own crystal blue ones. "You look good tonight," he mumbled awkwardly.

She smiled softly at him. "So do you." He stiffly offered her his arm, and they walked to their table.

-------------------------------------------------------------

It was getting closer to midnight, and he was miserable. He hated being around this many people, and the fact that he had made enemies of most of them had not left his mind. He fidgeted in his seat, and he made sarcastic cracks about most of the doctors that had stopped by to talk to Cuddy. To his surprise, she didn't try to stop him.

She knew he was miserable, and this wasn't his crowd. Of course, his crowd was usually the ample liquor cabinet and his piano. She leaned over to him, and she loosened his tie. Tugging on the knot, she whispered, "don't be something your not. I want Greg House. Not House who's trying to be what he thinks I want." Her nimble fingers unfastened the top button of his shirt. She leaned back, and she admired her handiwork. "Better?"

"Much." He ran his fingers under his collar. "I hate these damn things," he muttered, toying with the ends of his now untied bow tie.

"They don't become you. Which is why I don't make you wear them." She gave him a small smile, her gray-blue eyes meeting his.

"Cuddy," he sighed, looking around. "Why me. You can have the pick of any guy in this room. In fact, I bet you probably have..."

"I could, but the one I want keeps twisting away. I enjoy the chase, the hunt, and then having the tables turned, when I become the hunted. It's been fun, but I'm becoming tired," she looked down at the table, picking at an invisible spot."

"This is not where I want to be." he mumbled.

She grinned, "then let's go to where you want to be." He met her eyes, and he grinned.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Twenty minutes later, she found herself in a small homey diner located not too far from the hospital.

"These are the best onion rings I ever had! They even beat that hole in the wall diner at Michigan." she closed her eyes in ecstasy as she popped on in her mouth.

He grinned at her from across the table. "You should let loose more often." He swigged his beer. "Hey! Those are mine! You've already eaten all of yours." She had darted her hand across the table, and she snagged an onion ring off of his plate.

"Now you know how Wilson feels," she smirked as she popped it in her mouth. She rolled her eyes, and she moaned softly, exaggerating the great feeling she had.

His eyes lit up, and then he grinned. "Where do you wanna go after this?" he asked her. "I'm beginning to feel like a tool in this get up." His eyes traced her low cut midnight blue gown. "You, however, are gorgeous.

She smiled for a second. "Your place or mine? I wanna see the ball drop."

His eyes widened for a second, then he grinned slowly. He tossed a couple of bills on the table, then he grabbed her wrist, and he led her out of the diner.


	20. Chapter 20

_**AN-**_

_**Anyway, this is why it's rated M. Enjoy**_

_I keep forgetting to do this :P :_

_December, 2008_

They went back to his place. She drove, but she knew the route to his home all to well. He stared blankly out the window, wondering what he had gotten himself into. What was going to happen? Was he prepared for the consequences. He absently rubbed his thigh, his thoughts drifting like the snow across the road.

They reached his apartment, and he let her in. He opened the door, and he looked at her for a long moment. They stood on his threshold, wondering what their next move should be. He gazed into her blue-gray eyes, trying to read her mind. She could keep her thoughts hidden just as well as he could, but he knew that for her, her eyes were truly the windows to her soul.

She opened her mouth to speak, but as she looked into his eyes, she forgot her words. In that second, he took the chance he'd been avoiding for a long while. He leaned in, and he pressed his lips softly to hers. He let the kiss linger, without deepening it, and she slowly withdrew from it. He opened his eyes, and he saw the desire that he had sparked in hers.

He couldn't help it, when he saw that spark, all rational thought went away. He kissed her again, but this time much more aggressively. She wrapped her arms around his neck, meeting his lips with equal force. The dam of denial that had stood for nearly twenty years finally broke down, and the flood of emotions that had been walled up overflowed and overwhelmed them. He pressed her against the door frame, his tongue tracing the outline of her lips before he demanded entrance to her mouth.

She ran her fingers through his short hair, caressing his neck and shoulders. His own fingers of his left hand found themselves entangled in her long raven curls, and his right hand pushed lightly on the small of her back, pressing her to him. She moaned softly, opening her mouth, allowing his tongue to fill it.

He lead her into the apartment itself, feeling his way in. His eyes were closed, allowing him better to feel the sensations that their tongues dueling in their connected mouths were causing. He took his hand off her waist for a second, just to reach out and shut the door. She clung to him, sliding her hands under his coat, trying to push it off his shoulders.

He shrugged out of it, and he slid his hands under her coat. He ran them over the smooth skin of her shoulders, gently pushing her heavy wool coat off her body. He moved his lips from hers to her neck, gently sucking and nibbling along the soft skin. She gasped with pleasure at the feel of his mouth there.

Her fingers began to open the buttons of his shirt, and once it was open, she ran her hands along his lightly haired chest. She pulled the shirttails out of his slacks, and she took it off his body. He pressed her against the couch, his hands gripping her hips. He ground himself against her, letting her feel his arousal.

He moved his hand to her back, and he found the zipper to her gown. He slowly pulled the zipper down, and he pushed the straps down her arms. Nothing supporting it, the gown pooled around her feet, and she stood before him in a matching lacy black bra and thong panties. He smiled at the sight of her, and then he pulled her around to the front of the couch. He sat down, and he pulled her on his lap.

He kissed her on the mouth, a soft nibbling kiss, and then he worked his way down the the swell of her breasts above the bra. She moaned again, wiggling against him, causing him to moan against her breasts. He deftly unhooked the bra, and he pulled it off. Taking her breasts in his large hands, he caressed the nipples lightly with his thumbs. She kissed him, and he caught her moans deep in his throat.

While he was teasing her nipples, she slid her hands lightly down his chest, gently scraping her nails along the skin. She reached his belt buckle, and she began to undo it. She unzipped his fly, and she slid her hands down into his boxer briefs. She sat back, and she tugged gently on his pants, causing him to lift his hips. She pulled them off, freeing his erection from the confines.

She got off of him briefly, and she allowed him to slide her panties down to her ankles. He ran his hands up and down her silky thighs. His fingers gently probed upward to her hot core, and he found her wet. She straddled his lap again, careful to avoid his maimed thigh. She took his hard length in her soft hands, and she lightly stroked it, looking in his crystal blue eyes. His breath caught in his throat, and he reached out for her. She put her hands on his shoulders, and she lowered himself on him, impaling herself on his hard cock. She closed her eyes and hissed as she felt him pierce deep inside her.

He clamped his hands around her waist, and he began to thrust upwards. She rocked against him to his rhythm, smothering his mouth with kisses. Using his thumb, he began to gently rub against her clitoris, causing her to moan. It wasn't long before he felt her velvety hot walls clamp down on him. When she cried out, he lost control, filling her with his semen. She rested her head against his shoulder, and he felt his eyes close, still recovering from orgasm that had rocked his body.

Their heavy breathing was the only sound in the room, and he held her close to him, trying to convey how he felt through his body. She lightly nuzzled his neck, also fumbling to find the right words to say. He smiled softly, running his hand through her soft curly locks. "Why did we wait so long to do that again," he whispered softly against her ear.

She sighed, "because it was never the right time. We always had more important things to do."

"Right," he frowned. "I don't remember you being quite so...forceful."

"It's been a long time." She lifted her head up. "And I don't think you should complain."

He squeezed her ass gently. "I wasn't." They sat in silence for the next several minutes, and then he looked at her. "I wanna beer." He lightly pushed her off of him, grinning slightly as she glared at him.

"Is that all guys think about, sex and beer." she pouted playfully.

"Yup, and since I've had one, I want the other." he leaned in and kissed her lightly. "Besides, you sapped my strength. I gotta replenish some how." He winked at her, and he slowly got up. He pulled his boxers back up, and he limped into the kitchen.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 25 - Live For the Moment

December 2008

She heard him rummaging around in the kitchen, and she became very aware of her nakedness. She picked his dress shirt off the floor, and she followed him into his kitchen. She was buttoning it up just as he closed the refrigerator door. His eyes widened slightly, and he winked at her. "You look good in my clothes." He handed her a green bottle.

"House," she played with the label, "what just happened?" Her blue-gray eyes searched his.

"Cuddy, don't." He frowned, and he looked away. "Don't try to read into this." He grinned weakly at her, "just be happy that you had the best orgasm in your life." He took a long drink from the bottle, and he watched her reaction.

She raised her eyebrows, but she didn't push him. She felt like she had something very fragile in her hands, and that the slightest move one way or the other would destroy it. He was so prickly with his emotions, and it was so easy to irritate him. She just nodded, and she continued to pick at the label.

"Tomorrow, we'll be back to being who we are. Me, the charming yet unhinged rebel diagnostician, and you, the shrieking harpy boss who tries valiantly to keep me in line." He reached out and he brushed her cheekbone lightly with his thumb. "Let's just enjoy now, while we have it. Hell, I just might do something tomorrow to make you hate me for another twenty years."

She smiled. "I've never hated you, House. I've been annoyed, irritated, and mortified, but I've never hated you. Not once in twenty years."

He blinked, and he slowly processed that information. He had said and done some awful things to her over the years, and he had never shone one ounce of remorse towards her. She should have every reason in the world to hate him, but here she was, saying she didn't. "Why?"

She smiled, and she rested her elbows on the island in his kitchen, steepling her fingers. She rested her chin on her fingertips, and she looked thoughtfully at him. "You're not as evil as you think you are. Your a pain in the ss, and you're not above lying, cheating, or stealing to get the job done."

"But," he stood across from her, his gaze penetrating her eyes.

"But, you fight for what you think is right. You do outrageous and insane things, but you do them to garner an end that you think should happen. You're passionate, and you often do things because you care. You just don't want the world to know that you do."

"See, you don't know me at all.. I don't do those things because I care. I do them because I'm either bored, or I'm right. Everyone else is too dumb to see that."

"Fine. Tomorrow when you come blasting in my office to fight for a patient, I'll make sure that I take your motives into the proper perspective." She grinned at him.

He raised his eyebrows. "Does that mean that you'll let me do what ever I want?"

"Nope," she winked at him, "it means I'll do what I always do."

"Call me unhinged, and then kick me out of your office, all while looking like you want to make out with me?" He grinned back.

She sighed, and she dropped her gaze. "Is this...just a one time thing?"

"Cuddy," he warned.

"I have the right to know. To not get my hopes up. You're not the only failure at relationships here, and you and Stacy would have probably worked out if it hadn't been for the infarction." She sighed.

"Not true." He limped to her side of the counter, and he tilted her head up by lightly pressing his fingers under her chin. "Stacy and I were having problems before the infarction. It was just an excuse for her to leave." He licked his lips, "I...if it hadn't been for you and Wilson, I don't know what would have happened." He tilted his head to look at her. "And I only fail at relationships because I don't even try. You try to hard. Ya think we got a shot?"

She lightly smacked him on the chest. "Don't tease me about that. I've never even been engaged. You and I are both screw ups."

"Not as bad as Wilson though. At least neither of us have been married three times."

Then he grinned. "And we ditched him at that party. He's going to be in both of our offices tomorrow, digging for information."

"I know," she still didn't quite look at him.

"Look Cuddy," he struggled to find the right words, "I'm an ss, and I know I've hurt you before. But..." he stared at the ceiling, as if looking for inspiration. "But, let's leave the past in the past, and leave the future for someone else to worry about. What matters to me is now, and if I never get this chance again, I want to enjoy it for as long as I can."

She pondered his words, then she leaned up, and she softly kissed him. "Okay," she murmured against his lips. "Let's enjoy this."

He kissed her deeply, pressing her against the island. When he finally came up for air, he grinned, then he took her hand and he led her towards his bedroom, planning on enjoying every moment.


	22. Chapter 22

January, 2009

She awoke in the pre-dawn greyness. She felt a warm presence next to her, and she slowly realized that she wasn't in her bed. Her eyes roamed around the room, trying to put the puzzle together, and when they fell on the cane leaning in the corner, she knew where she was, and she knew who the arm draped across her body belonged to. She smiled softly, and memories of the previous night flooded through her mind.

She rolled over, trying not to disturb him, but she found herself staring into his bright blue eyes. They didn't say anything, but somehow, the magic from the previous evening had left, and they had to deal with the cold ashes of their actions. She swallowed, and started to open her mouth, but he silenced her with a look. "Don't." he whispered hoarsely. The silence broken, he sat up, and he reached for the orange bottle of vicodin with one hand, while massaging his thigh with the other.

She watched him, not staring at his thigh, which was under the blankets, but watching his face. She was well aware of that awkward morning so many years ago, and she couldn't help but wonder if this was the same thing. She sighed, but didn't sit up herself. She wanted to relish this feeling, to remember it, in case it never happened again.

"Don't you have to be at work soon?" He didn;t look at her. He forced himself to look straight ahead, and he continued to massage his thigh under the blanket. It ached even more than usual, due to the cold morning and his activities of the previous night.

She narrowed her eyes, wondering if she should be offended. They had come so close last night, and now he was once again pushing her away. "Did you just leave the money on the nightstand, or did you put it in my purse?" she asked, dryly, trying unsuccessfully to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"Cuddy, don't. I...," he sighed, "I didn't mean it that way." He still tried hard not to look at her.

She looked at his proud profile for a long moment, then she pushed back the comforter, suddenly ashamed of her nakedness. She stared to leave the bed, but his large hand darted out, and the grabbed her by the shoulder. She turned her head, and she looked into his blue eyes. Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and he tried to project all of his feelings through his gaze.

"Cuddy," he mumbled, "I'm never...I'm not ever going to be the man you deserve. Last night was..."

"A mistake?" she felt her eyes grow moist, but she didn't know if it was from shame or hurt.

"No, not a mistake, but...you shouldn't have high expectations of me. I'm just going to let you down, eventually." _Like I let everyone down. _He looked away from her eyes.

She saw the vulnerability in his face. She didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him, but she knew that he would shrug it off and call it pity. And he wouldn't be entirely wrong. She instead covered his hand, which was still on her shoulder, with her own, and she gave it a small, yet reassuring, squeeze.

"I told you before, Greg, I don't want happy. I wouldn't be happy with happy. I want," she sighed, fumbling for the right words. "I want functionally dysfunctional. I want to be kept on my toes, and I'm not deluded. I know it won't be easy, but if it was, I wouldn't want it anyway."

"I'm going to hurt you, eventually."

"Probably. But you're also going to surprise me, keep me on my toes."

He looked at her for a long time, his eyes burning into hers. Finally, he leaned in, and he softly kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he pulled her back into bed. He looked down at her, and he smiled at the feeling of her beneath him. "You're going to be late for work," he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Let me worry about that," she whispered, as she raised up to kiss him passionately. He smiled to himself, and he was glad he had such a happy new year.

--------------------------------------------------------------

When she arrived at work, Wilson was waiting on her. She was glad that she had taken Chase up on his pool, she was probably going to win the kitty. She perused the files that the head nurse had left for her on her desk. "You're late today," he put his hands on his hips.

"I overslept. It happens sometimes..."

"Not to you, and I noticed House isn't here yet, either." He tried to keep his face blank, but his eyes were grinning.

"Doctor Wilson. Are you insinuating that something occurred between House and I. Because if you are, I strongly suggest that your theories do not leave this office. If I even hear a whisper of a rumor about the matter, you will be pulling triple clinic duty until the next election." She spoke confidently and authoritatively, leaving him no room to argue the matter.

"Well, I'm just glad you had a good time last night." He smiled softly at her, and he left her office.

----------------------------------------------------------------

He limped into the hospital around noon, scowling as he entered the doors. "Doctor House!" he heard her voice call, and it took every part of his will not to smile at her. "I nor my fellows didn't do anything," he growled, adjusting his backpack.

"That's part of the problem," she narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you have a case?"

"Two cases, actually. I'm trying to work ahead of my quota this year..."

"You're lying." She smiled slyly at him. "I want you and your fellows in the Clinic; all day."

"Clinic? But all I'll be doing is treating crotch rot and hangovers. Someone should tell these people that sex and alcohol don't mix," he grumbled.

"Clinic, now, House. Maybe you can get caught up on your Clinic hours from five years ago." She turned to walk away.

"I think you just like me to look at other people's crotches!" he shouted after her, drawing attention from all the nurses. "She needs to get some...some," he told the head nurse, who just rolled her eyes. She was so used to him being an ass, that she didn't even flinch at his comments anymore.

He headed towards the elevator, a sly smile on his face. Keeping their secret was going to be easier than he thought...

----------------------------------------------------------------

"You know, Cuddy was late for work this morning." Kutner announced to the other fellows. The other three rolled their eyes, and they stared at him.

"And this matters, how?" Foreman grumbled. He himself had partied with Chase and Cameron the previous night, and now he was feeling the consequences. His headache told him he didn't want to hear the ramblings of the most enthusiastic fellow.

"Just thought it was interesting," Kutner shrugged. "I mean, from what I heard from Wilson talking to Cameron today, Cuddy and House left together from the New Year's party last night."

"Who cares," Thirteen tossed a disdainful bored gaze at him. "House is always late."

"But Cuddy never is," Taub pointed out, thoughfully.

"As she said, who cares! All I know, is that what she does after hours is not our business. Now, not p1ssing off our boss, is." Foreman picked up the journal that he had been reading, trying not to get drawn into a conversation about his boss' personal life.

"You know, I can feel my ears burn," he growled at them as he pushed through the doors of the conference room open." He narrowed his eyes at them. "Clinic, now. The she-demon from hell has sentenced us to the fifth circle for the day. If you can, scrounge up a case. I don't want to be swabbing crotches all day."

He entered his own office, and he slung his backpack by his desk, as he was shrugging out of his coat, he saw Wilson approaching his office. He groaned, not really wanting to speak to his best friend just yet, but it seemed like he was going to have to.

Wilson entered the office, and he looked around. "So, Cuddy was late getting in this morning."

"So, must have been heavy traffic," he said gruffly. He sat heavily in his chair, and he began rubbing his thigh.

"I don't know," Wilson raised an eyebrow. "She wouldn't be as happy as she was if she had been stuck in traffic."

He looked at Wilson a long moment, then he stood back up, reaching for his cane. "Maybe she likes being stuck in traffic." He began limping towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Wilson asked, baffled.

"Clinic." House gave him a look. "Why, got a hooker hiding in your office for me? Cuddy wasn't that bad..." he winked at his friend.

"Wait, what," Wilson's eyebrows shot up. "You and Cuddy, finally?" He smiled slyly.

"No you idiot! I can't take all that administrative need. My god, her need to be in control the entire time would be enough to drive me mad." He limped toward the elevator.

"Then why are you doing your Clinic duty?" Wilson grinned, folding his arms across his chest.

"Because if I don't, she might break out the handcuffs," he muttered. "Besides, I have the team looking for a case. If I can wiggle out of it, I will." The elevator doors closed, leaving a smug looking Wilson.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The eighteen year old girl sitting on the exam room looked at him blankly. "I can't be pregnant. I've never even had sex."

He rolled his eyes. Why were people so stupid. "Okay, how long has it been since you had your period?" He cringed, knowing the answer.

"Ummm, I don't know. I don't pay attention to it." The girl twirled a lock of dirty blond hair around her finger.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "You have joint pain, breast swelling, back pain, headaches, and nausea. You haven't had your period since you can remember. Now, either you're lying, or your body's lying. I'm betting on you." He rolled the ultrasound machine over. "Lie back," he sighed. "And lift up your shirt."

She did as he asked. "I mean, we've done most of the bases, but we're waiting for marriage to go all the way." She flinched as he squirted the cold gel on her belly.

He twisted the screen towards her. "I think you've done all the bases. Stop lying to me. You're pregnant. Happy New Year."

"But I can't be pregnant, I mean, I've never even...."

"Your words say no, the little parasite says, _Yes, you have._ Have you been naked in bed with a guy?"

"Yeah, but...I was on the pill. So that doesn't count right?"

He exhaled slowly, counting to ten in his mind.

-------------------------------------------------------------

"You're a jerk!" Cuddy heard the cry from across the Clinic. She didn't have to hear it twice to know that it had something to do with him.

Her heels clicking across the tile floor, she saw him walking out the exam room. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm doing what you told me to do," he informed her, proudly.

"I heard that girl scream from the other side of the clinic. My office, NOW." She turned on her heel, and he grinned as the watched her walk away from him.

He turned to the head nurse. "She's got a fever, and only I can cure it," he winked, leaving the file on the counter.

"Yeah, right," the nurse rolled her eyes as she put the file in the proper stack. She watched as the arrogant doctor walked away, wonder why Cuddy put up with such an ss.

-----------------------------------------------------

She shut the door behind him, and he grinned at her. "I know I was good, but I never thought you'd...."

"Shut up, for once," her words were assertive, but her eyes were smiling. "We're not here for that, so drive that thought out of your mind.

"Why are we here, then?"

"What was that about?"

"Oh, the not-Virgin Mary? She thought that sex while on the pill wasn't sex. I set her straight." He looked at her, and a sly smile crawled across his face. "But, that's not why we're here, either, is it?"

She smiled sexily at him, and she opened her top desk drawer. She tossed him a small wad of cash. "Thought you'd like your cut of Chase's pool."

"Which one, the one that said we'd do the horizontal mambo, or the one about how long it would take Wilson to come to one of us for details." He reached into his pocket, and he tossed her a slightly larger wad of money. "That's your cut for the one that had bets on whether or not I'd ditch you. Sorry it's smaller than I expected. I had to cut Wilson in, too.

"The one about Wilson." She blinked, as realization hit her "There was one about _us having sex_?" Her voice rose half an octave, and she shot him an incredulous look.

He grinned, and he reached into his other pocket. "Good thing I'm that confident."

Her eyes widened, "arrogant, is the better word."

He grinned. "I got what I wanted. How about a repeat performance?" He flashed her a puppy dog look.

She looked at him for a long moment. "We'll see. You still have Clinic Duty. Get back to work."

He opened up the door, and to her embarrassment, he called out. "Damn, I was hoping for a little afternoon delight."

She sat down in her chair, and she smiled, but not daring to hope. Not yet. The day was not over, yet.


	23. Chapter 23

September, 1985

It was game day at the Big House. The entire campus was awash in a sea of maize and blue. Tailgaters parked their trucks, campers, and vans in the specified lots around campus, and the smells of grilling meat began to fill the air. Alumni and their families, current students, and administrators mingled with each other, all while calling out slogans against the team's rival. While not the dreaded juggernaut of Ohio State, Notre Dame was still a big rival, and the Fighting Irish were a force to be reckoned with.

She was caught up in the game day spirit. The crisp early fall air made her smile, and she loved to see the extent that Wolverine fans went in supporting their team. She ran a brush through her still wet raven curls, while listening to the game report on the radio. She had tickets to the game, and none of her friends wanted to go. She wondered if he would want to go with her. She drummed her fingertips on her desk, then with a smile, she pulled on a Michigan hoodie, and she walked the few blocks to his house.

She rapped on the door a few times, then she waited for somoene to answer. Sure enough, after five minutes had passed, Alec came to the door. His long blond hair hung loose, and his eyes were red-rimmed from sleep. He had thrown on a pair of sweats an a t-shirt. "Lisa," he yawned sleepily. "What are you doing here?"

"Is Greg around?" She asked, peering in the doorway.

"Should have known you were here looking for him," he grinned. "No. He has a study group that he's being forced to observe. I imagine he's in the science lounge right now, grumbling and calling them all idiots." He smiled at the thought.

"And he wonders why the entire department thinks he's an arrogant ass." she rolled her eyes.

"Hey now," Alec grinned even wider at her. "That's his pet name. We all know that the world would stop revolving on its axis if he ever showed a tiny sliver of humility."

She laughed, a low rich sound. "Thanks Alec. I better go find him."

"Hey, Lisa. Can I ask why you're looking for him? Just in case he comes back while your gone?" Alec rubbed his eyes.

"I've got a spare ticket to today's game. I was wondering if he wanted to go with me. I know he likes sports."

"Yeah, but he prefers to play than watch," Alec muttered. "I'll let him know. He's always into free stuff. Good luck." Alec shut the door, then he staggered back to bed.

Undeterred, she made her way to the science building. On her way across campus, she passed through the sea of people making their way towards the stadium. There were a few brave souls dressed in Navy and gold, the Notre Dame colors. She laughed at the ribbing that they took from the Michigan fans. There was something about the game that brought out some of the most outrageous things in its fans. She spotted a few of her friends from classes, and she shouted out a hi to them. They laughed and greeted her briefly. One of them had painted a big maize M on his face. It was just such a lively atmosphere. She quickened her pace, trying to find him before she missed out on all the fun of the game.

------------------------------------------------

He sat in the science lounge, rolling his eyes at the freshmen he was supposed to be helping. _Why can't they be as smart as Lisa,_ he grumbled to himself. They didn't even understand basic biology, and they thought that they were going to graduate in four years. He shook his head, before picking up the magazine that he had been reading.

"Ummm, Mr. House," one of the students, a girl who was probably eighteen, but looked like she was twelve, looked up. "I don't get this."

"Just call me House. Drop the mister, okay." He rolled his eyes. He got up, and he walked over to the table. "You don't get this? And you want to be a biologist?" He asked, not masking the incredulous tone in his voice. "Change majors, buy some grass, and listen to the Grateful Dead. You'll make all of us happy."

The girl looked at him, wide-eyed. "But I have to be a biologist. My father won't pay for my schooling if I don't get a degree in biology."

"Well, he won't be paying your tuition if you fail out, either," he informed her coldly, not quite concealing the bitterness in his voice.

"Look, dude," a nerdy looking boy called to him. "Just because your some sort of fucking genius doesn't mean you should insult us. We're trying to learn."

"Trying and doing are two different things. You didn't even read the material. Probably staying up all night during one of your Dungeons and Dragons games. If you want to succeed, you've gotta keep your mind in the real world. Fantasies are just that, fantasies. And they don't get you anywhere."

The boy, embarrassed at getting called out, looked back down at his textbook, red-faced.

He walked back to his chair, when she walked into the room. "Greg, can I ask you something?" She motioned her head towards the hallway, then left. A wide grin spread across his face.

He stood up, and he looked at the study group. "Sorry kids, mommy and daddy need to have a talk. But rest assured, we still love you." Whistling, he walked at the door, but not without hearing one of them mutter, "what an ass." His grin grew wider.

"What's up?" he asked, leaning against the wall.

She laughed, and rolled her eyes. "You should be expecting a mutiny at anytime, Captain Bligh."

He grinned. Nah, they don't have the skills to take me on. So, what do you want."

"I've got a spare ticket to today's game. Wanna go?"

The smile left his face. "I can't. I've got to clean up Professor Neuburg's office today. Apparently my little prank involving rotten eggs didn't go over too well."

She looked at him, "that was you? That whole floor still stinks."

"Yeah, I was ratted out." He looked at her. He'd rather go to a game with her than clean an office, but he didn't have a choice in the matter.

"Guess I'll just have to ask someone else."

"Guess you will. I gotta get back, before the crew of the Bounty figure out what a mutiny is." He winked at her. "I'll catch you later."

She smiled, albeit, weakly. "'Bye Greg."

He walked back in the lounge, and she made her way out of the Science Building. On her way out, se ran into Micheal.

"Hey Micheal. What's up?"

"Lisa!" He smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just killing time before the game....hey, are you doing anything today?" She had an idea.

"I was going to get caught up on my grading. Why? Do you have any plans?" He shifted the books he was carrying to his other arm.

"I just have a spare ticket to the game, and I'm trying to find someone to go with me. Are you interested?" She tilted her head, and she smiled at him.

"Sure! Just let me put these books in my office. I'll meet you here in five minutes." He smiled at her, but in the back of his mind, he wondered why she hadn't asked Greg. Ever since the poker game, he had thought that they were an item. Apparently, they weren't.

"Okay. I'll be here." She smiled, and she watched as he entered the building.


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N - _

_I just want to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews. I don't ask for them, but I appreciate them more than you'll ever know!! I love reading your thoughts! I don't post based on the number of reviews I get. I post when I get a chapter written. I just wanted you to know that. I love you guys!! Getting those little alerts in my e-mail does makes my rainy days brighter...so I do hope you keep at it :) Always let me know if you have a concern, or question, or whatever. I do listen :)_

_**THANK-YOU!**_

_September - 1985_

They took their seats in the stadium, in a throng of rabid Wolverine fans. The student section was always rambunctious, and today was no different. Rude chants against the Fighting Irish filled the air as the teams took the field. The open air stadium erupted in cheers as the team, led by Bo Schembechler took the field. It was the first game of the fall, and their fans had high hopes for another National Championship this year.

Micheal settled into the seat beside her, and he smiled at the expression on her face. "I didn't think you liked football," he noted, watching as her steel blue eyes watched the field.

"It's a chess game," she informed him. "It's a violent chess game, but to be honest, I prefer baseball to football."

"What's your team? I'm a huge Yankee's fan. I'm from New York." He grinned at her.

"Ugh! No offense, I can't stand the Yankees. I'm a bigger Sox fan, but I cheer anyone who can beat the Yanks." She playfully glared at him.

He took her seriously, "What, I'm sorry." He turned red, "I guess, I just guess that you'd be a Yankees fan."

She gave him a long look. "Lighten up. Let's enjoy the game." She smiled at him, and then turned her attention to the field of play.

"So," he began, "what's up with you and Greg House?"

Her head snapped back to him. "That's...none of your business." She was a little taken aback by the question.

"Sorry, its just, well, the entire department have been talking about you two. No one's ever seen him this...happy isn't the right word."

"No, it's not," she said icily. "Greg House is not and will probably never be happy. And he's just a friend. No more, no less. Same as you." She turned her attention back to the field of play.

Micheal looked at her for a long while, then he, too began to watch the game.

------------------------------------------

After the study session with the freshman, he slipped out of the science building, and he made his way across campus. He entered his apartment, and he flopped down down on the couch. He watched as Alec came out of his bedroom. "Thought you had to clean up Neuberg's office?"

"Nope. Bribed on the kids in my study group to do it." He put his feet up on the table.

"Lisa dropped by."

"I know." He glanced at the clock. "Game's halfway over now." He turned on the tv, and found it on the local station. "See. Halftime. And we're up. Cool."

"What's going on between you two?"

"Ooooo...Alec gotta crush on the annoying little bookworm? Nothing's going on. We're just friends."

"Just friends?"

"Who are you, the relationship police. Yes, just friends." He stood up, and he grabbed his jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"What are you now, my mother?" he snapped, his glare turning icy.

Alec held up his hands in the "I surrender" gesture. "Just wondering in case a certain _friend_ comes over asking about you again." He grinned at his prickly roommate. "And if I was your mother, you'd be nicer to me, instead of sticking me with the dishes all the time. I swear, if I didn't cook, you'd be living off of frozen pizza and peanut butter sandwiches."

"Don't forget the canned soup." He shrugged his jacket on. He headed towards the door.

"What do you want me to tell Lisa, if she shows up looking for you.

"Tell her I'm at the library."

---------------------------------------------------

The game was over, and the streets were filled with jubilant Wolverine fans. The first game of the year, and they had just defeated one of the toughest teams out there. Fans were jumping and singing, shouting slogans of victory at the few dejected Irish fans out there. All were headed to the bars or to parties to celebrate.

She left the stadium, smiling at the other fans as they cheered. She barely noticed that Micheal was still at her side. "What are you up to know?" he asked her.

"Don't know. I think I'm going to the library to study.

"Study?? It's Saturday. You should go out, and have fun." He smiled at her.

She looked at him. "I might later. For now, I'm going to the library. I have a quiz in my organic chem class Monday. I have to pass that class. I'll talk to you later."

She left him alone as she returned to her apartment to grab her backpack, then she made her way to the library.


	25. Chapter 25

_**A/N - **_

_**So, I'm not on any fan websites except for this one and the fox forum, so, I was pleasantly surprised when a friend sent me a link to fanpop. In response to someone's question about fics to read, several of YOU, my wonderful readers, suggested this one!! I was in a state of shock, because, well, my lowly little drabble doesn't even compare to many of the great fics I've read here!! I just want to say, THANK YOU!! Whoever did that, you truly made my day!!**_

September, 1985

He dumped his backpack on an empty table in the back of the basement of the library. He opened up a journal to an article on infectious diseases. He liked to read the symptoms, and then figure out what the disease was. It was a puzzle, and he was good at puzzles. They were easy, and relatively fun to figure out. Much easier than dealing with people.

He'd just gotten into it earlier that week with his chief resident during one of his rotations. Apparently, he had an attitude problem. He told the resident that it wasn't an attitude problem, it was a boredom problem. He knew all this stuff, he just hated dealing with patients. He didn't understand why they forced him to treat people when all he wanted to do was treat diseases. Diseases were easy, people made it harder.

He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back in the chair he was in. He entered med school to get away from his father's strict rules and obligations, thinking back to that boraku doctor he had seen in Japan. That was the doctor he wanted to be; the one everyone came running to for advice. One that could make his own rules, make his own plans. But right now, he was miserable, yet again. He was running on everyone else's time. He had to toe the line, something he hated doing. He suddenly felt very old and tired.

And he dreamed...

-----------------------------------

_He was 7 years old. He didn't remember what he had done, but it must have been something bad. He racked his mind trying to think of what it was. _

_He was not an easy child. That's what he kept hearing his mom and dad and his teacher's say. Gifted, one called him. He didn't know what that meant. He just wanted to play with his puzzles, with the few toys he had. He didn't have any friends. The other children would make fun of him. Why, he didn't know. Not that there were many kids on the base where his parents were usually stationed at anyway._

_He had been watching television in the den. He'd just brought his report card in, and he heard his mother discussing the prospect of him skipping grades. He wondered what that meant. He shrugged to himself, and he went back to watching TV. His mother had decided to treat him to watching TV, which was a rare treat, like candy, or soda. _

_He heard the front door open, and then his parents exchanged words. There was something in his father's voice that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. His dad barged in the den, and he marched over to him. Grabbing him by the upper arm, he hoisted him up, and he began dragging him to the bathroom._

_He should have known better, but he couldn't stop himself. He didn't cry. He couldn't remember the last time that he cried, but he did the next worse thing. He asked "_why_." It was the one thing his father couldn't deal with, his questions. He questioned everything, always wanting to know how, or why, and he had already learned that his father didn't have the answers._

_He was stripped down to his underwear, and his father commanded him to sit in the tub. Looking up, he stared, not understanding, but knowing that something bad was going to happen. "Why?" he asked again, trying to figure out what was going to happen. "What did I do?"_

"_Just sit, boy! Don't question orders from your superiors!" His dad's booming voice echoed off the tiled walls, frightening him._

_He didn't sit down, not understanding his father's rational, and for that, he was pushed down into the tub. "Stay there! Don't move!" His father disappeared, and then returned with the bag of ice. Pouring it around him. He cringed at feeling the cold so intense it burned, but he would not cry out. That would make it worse. That would make it go on longer._

"_John!" he heard his mother call, and he shivered involuntarily. He kept quiet, hoping that would keep her safe. He may not care for his father, but his mother was everything. His protector, his only friend. He stayed quiet as his father dumped more ice over him, punishing him for something that he didn't know he'd done. So he sat there and shivered, a slow rage building through his small body._

_-------------------------------------------------_

She came into the library, and she went to the basement, where they kept the medical journals. She walked down the stairs, thinking about what she said to Micheal. Were her and Greg "just friends?" She was certainly drawn to him, and his insane energy, but they had never jumped off that cliff. She wondered if he could ever be close to anyone. He seemed to have encased himself in a wall made of cement and barbed wire.

She wandered into the basement, and she saw him sitting in a chair, sound asleep. At first she was shocked, and then she realized that he was in his final year of med school. He was stretched thin, between his rotations, supervising study groups, and T. a class, plus his studies. He looked peaceful in his sleep, and she didn't want to disturb him. She turned to walk away, but she saw him shiver out of the corner of her eye. She pulled off her hoodie, and she walked over to cover him with it.

He felt something warm cover him, and he opened his eyes. She was leaning over him, her gray blue eyes looking directly into his. He glanced down at the sweatshirt, then back up at the thin white t-shirt that she had been wearing underneath it. Her face was inches away from his his. He could smell the light perfume she wore. Her dark curls framed her face. He thought he was going to drown in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked hoarsely.

"Studying." She didn't move.

"Same here."

"Sleeping is more like it." He could smell the sweet odor of Juicy Fruit gum on her breath. He couldn't resist it. He leaned up, and he brushed her lips with his, tickling her with his stubble. He half expected her to freeze or run away, but she did neither.

She leaned into him, putting pressure on his lips. He opened his mouth, but didn't use his tongue. He was curious, wanting to see how far she would go.

Which wasn't very far.

She sat up, her eyes bright, but a worried look on her face. "What are we, Greg House?"

He stared in those eyes. "We're here. Together. That's all that matters to me."

She slowly nodded, and all he wanted to do was take her lips in his again, but he heard a throat clearing behind him. He looked up, and Alec stood there with a grin on his face. "Just friends, huh?"

Her eyes darted to Alec, standing at the entrance to the library's basement. She stood straighter, and her steel gray eyes narrowed. "Just friends." she informed him. "That's all."

He returned her scowl with a smirk, and he walked over to them. "Nice sweatshirt, G-man. Too bad it's a few sizes too small for you."

"Are you here to torment me, or do you actually have something interesting to say," he growled. He tossed the sweatshirt back to her. And their eyes met briefly.

"I...I better go," she mumbled, picking up her bag.

As she was leaving, he grabbed her by the upper arm firmly, but gently. "I'll see you later," he murmured under his breath. She swallowed an nodded, trying to wrap her head around how he made her feel. As she was leaving the room, she heard him call out, "because we both know that your organic chem skills suck! You need all the help you can get!. A smile formed on her face, and she left the building.

As she left, she felt odd. She didn't know what to think of him. One moment, he could be the biggest ss in the world, and the next, he could open himself up. He was brilliant, no doubt about it. She sighed, and she made her way back to her place.

------------------------------------

The grin faded from Alec's face as she left. "Don't toy with her," he sighed, sadly.

"Don't toy with her?" Greg glared at his friend. "I was this close to getting my hand up her shirt. If you hadn't interrupted us, I would have had an all access pass to her love rug."

"Is that all you care about? The sex? She's smarter than that, you know."

"Yeah, I'm well aware of how smart she is. You don't get a 4.0 in your first two semesters in Pre-Med without being smart."

"Just don't hurt her. You have this tendency to go through girls like most of us change our socks."

"You suck at metaphors. Leave those to the master."

"Stop deflecting." Alec glared at him. "You're gonna hurt her. Just like you hurt everyone else. I don't want to see her hurt."

"Just admit it." He took a few steps toward Alec, his anger rising. "You're just jealous she want the G-machine instead of what you can offer."

Alec shook his head. "No. You're a cancer, man. You spread your bitterness and loathing to everyone you meet. Just let me know when this falls out. I don't want to be anywhere near ground zero."

"Are you done with your speech, because I've got better things to do than listen to a pretty boy Pennsylvania farm doctor who's gonna spend most of his career setting broken bones and treating the flu."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Your parents called. Your dad's driving up in a few weeks. Don't worry; I'm planning on being out of town. I don't want to be anywhere near that nuclear holocaust." He turned on his hell, still smarting from the insults that were hurled at him.

Greg slumped back down in his seat, massaging his temples. The mixed emotions that were coursing through his veins were turning his stomach. From the elation of her soft, sweet kiss, to Alec's buzz-kill. Then, the news his parents were coming up. It all made him feel nauseous. He slammed his fist down on the table, and then he gathered his things. Maybe Alec was right. Maybe he was a cancer, eating away at all the good that came close to him.

But he had a good reason to be that way.

He slung his back across one shoulder, then left the building with a scowl.

----------------------------------------

She was sitting in her apartment, looking over some organic chem notes. She heard a knock at the door, and she went to answer it. She smiled when she saw him standing there. "Are you alone?" He asked softly.

"Yeah. It's a game day Saturday. My roommates are out reenacting the toga party from _Animal House_. Why?" She saw the dark look on his face. "Are you breaking up with me," she teased.

"Can't break up if we're not dating to begin with." He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes seemingly staring into her soul. "Just wanted to give you those Chem notes. I may not be around."

"Greg, what's going on?" He suddenly seemed cold, distant toward her.

"Nothing." He turned and walked away, leaving her feeling very confused and hurt.


	26. Chapter 26

___**Author's Note - **_

___**We're drifting to the present again. I've been doing a handful of chapters in a time frame before flipping. This is just how I wrote the story. I hope that the past/present mirrors each other. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**_

_Mid – February, 2009_

Spring was trying to brush winter aside, and he made his way up the wet steps to the hospital, being careful with his footing on the wet cement. People took things like balance and grip for granted when they had two useful legs, a realization he had come to many times. His thoughts drifted back to his hallucination that he had when he'd been shot. Of walking up the stairs at the hospital. He gripped his cane even tighter, still feeling a little resentment at being given a taste of the sweet ambrosia of being able to walk, only to have it ripped from him. He pulled his heavy coat a little tighter around his body, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the early spring air. He raised his eyes, and he looked at the hospital. In a way, this had become his second home, and he never wanted to leave it.

He made his way to the nurses station, to pick up his mail, and to see if they had any cases for him. His team had been case-less for the past few weeks, and they had been logging enough clinic hours to keep them all set for the next year. Of course, he was still catching up on his clinic hours from five years ago, or, to be correct, trying to avoid being caught up on his clinic hours from five years ago. Once again disappointed by the lack of cases, he decided, that after taking his bag and coat upstairs, that he would pay a visit to her.

He made his way to the elevator, and as he thought back to the past two and half months. They'd reached an unspoken standstill. They didn't spend everyday together, or even every other day. Sometimes he would drop by her house, usually with takeout in hand, and sometimes she would visit him, usually using his spare key, and she would cook. They didn't classify themselves as being in a relationship, and for those that knew them, it didn't look much different. Wilson claimed that he had seen slight changes in both of their demeanors, but he had laughed it off. He didn't think he had changed at all.

About halfway there, he changed his mind, and he doubled back to her office. He needed to see her, if anything just to argue. He barged into her office like he had done, so many times before. She was talking on the phone, and she gave him an annoyed look. "I'm sorry, Dr. Phillips. I just don't know if I can arrange it. This is very short notice, and Dr. Wilson's already planned on going. Are you sure that the administrators should be there?" She paused, and he tilted his head, trying to figure out what was going on. She finally nodded. "Okay, I can't make any promises, but I'll try to shift my schedule around. Thank you."

"Going out of town?" He frowned.

She sighed, "What ever it is you want, the answer is no. And maybe. They want me to go to an oncology technology conference in Chicago." She rubbed her eyes, looking tired.

"So, you don't want me to solve a case," he focused on the first part of her response, while twisting the puzzle of the latter part of it in his head. "You'd be going with Wilson?"

"Probably. And don't worry, he's so scared of you doing serious harm to him, he stutters when he speaks to me. And I'm not sure if I'm going." She gave him a long look. "And yes, I want you to solve cases. Except you don't have any. Are you fishing again?"

"I swear, Jersey's run out of sick people." He paused, "and you should know, Wilson wets the bed."

"There's a whole Clinic full of sick people, just waiting for you to treat them." She stood up, and she walked around the desk. "And Wilson only wets the bed because you stuck his hand in water. Next time, you won't do it when he's sleeping on _your_ couch." She grinned at him.

"How long are going to be gone for?" His eyes searched hers.

"Only for a few days. You shouldn't be able to blow up the hospital in a few days."

He grinned. "You forget, I have Kutner on my team. You'd be surprised at the wanton destruction that we'll be able to accomplish."

She closed her eyes, and she groaned softly. "Go. Clinic. Now." She waved him off, but as he reached for the door handle, he grinned at her. "Thai tonight?"

She nodded. He smiled, and he left.

A few hours later he was sitting in an Exam Room, running the list of obscene adjectives that he could describe this patient's mother.

A little girl, about three or four sat in front of him on the exam room, a wide crooked-tooth grin on her face. She swung her feet off the table, humming happily to herself. Her face, arms, and legs were covered in brown dots.

"I mean," the over anxious mother kept talking. She hadn't shut up since he had opened up the door. "It could me some sort of allergic reaction. We did just get a new dog. I didn't want the dog, but my husband promised the kids of dog. Could it be flea bites? We'll just have to get rid of the..."

"Shut up about the damn dog!" He glared at the mother. The little girl giggled, and he gave her a conspiratorial grin. "You're lucky. You're the first overly nervous mother I had to treat today." He got up, and limped heavily to the sink, where he ran a cloth under the water. "Annie," he asked the little girl.

"Angie," her other sniffed, still upset about her broken rant.

"Does mommy have a box full of colored powder's and paints? That she uses to put on her face?"

The little girl grinned and nodded. He took her arm and wiped off the brown dots. "Eyebrow pencil," he informed the mother. I'll bill you for the cloth."

"You are a very rude doctor. How can you even practice here. You have no good bedside manner."

"Well, if I'm not here, doing my job, my girlfriend stops giving me nookie. Teach the kid to stay out of your make-up, and keep the damn dog. It obviously makes the kid happy."

He grabbed his cane and the chart, and he limped out into the hall. He spotted Wilson at the nurses' station, flirting with a blond woman, who probably had been a cheerleader in a past life. "Hey Jimmy!" He called out, limping over. The woman gave him a contemptuous look, and she mumbled an apology to Wilson, before turning away.

"Do you purposely try to sabotage my love life?" he sighed.

"Only because I don't want you on my lumpy couch any time in the near future. You might be frightened off by the sounds you hear from my bedroom."

"If you mean your snores..." he paused for a moment. "Dammit, House!" he twisted his face in a sick look. You don't need to share those details."

"Lunch is on you, Jimmy." he grinned as he limped toward the cafeteria. Wilson sighed, wondering what his friend was up to.


	27. Chapter 27

She was sitting on the couch, tying up an e-mail on her laptop. It was getting late, and she wondered if he was going to show up or not. It was part of his charm, she determined, his lateness and nonchalance when it came to keeping appointments or plans. She learned that he did things in his own way, on his own time. At the hospital, her role was to keep him on track. She had no desire to pursue that role in their personal life.

Just when she was contemplating ordering take out, she heard a rapid fire knock on the door. She opened the door, and she looked at him, a little puzzled. "No take out?" she asked, with a little grin.

He smirked at her. "You're rotundus ass doesn't need anymore take out. She smirked back, and she turned towards the hall. He reached out and touched her shoulder. She turned back around, and he kissed her deeply, allowing his fingers to travel down her sides. She kissed him back with as much passion as he was showing her, biting his bottom lip gently, causing him to moan.

He backed her up to the wall, shutting the door behind him as he did. His hands roamed her body, sliding under the tank top she was wearing. She ran her hands over his shoulders, running them through his mussed hair. She pushed his jacket back from his shoulders, tugging it off. He ran his fingers through her curls, which she had clipped back from her face. He undid the clip, all while concentrating on the dance their tongues were doing in their mouths.

She broke off the kiss, needing to come up for air. "House," she half moaned. "What's, what's..." He began to attack her neck, causing her to moan again. She clawed at his shirt, trying to pull it off. He lightly nipped at the skin along the jaw line, working his way up to her ear. He knew that was one of her sweet spots, and he took his time, licking and tasting the soft skin.

He pushed his hands up her shirt, and he began to massage her breasts with his hands, flicking the nipples with his thumbs. "Mmmm, Cuddy, no bra," he breathed in her ear.

She moaned in is ear, and he stepped a half step back, pulling her tank top off. He lowered his head, and he lightly traced the outline of the already erect nipple with the tip of his tongue. She arched against him, gasping as he took it in his teeth.

He felt her wiggle against him, and he couldn't wait anymore. These were the times he cursed his leg most of all. There was nothing he wanted to do more than to have her wrap her legs around his waist, and take her against the wall, but he couldn't do it. So he grabbed her hand, and he pulled her into the bedroom.

He pulled his t-shirt over his head, and he tossed in on the floor. She gave him a disapproving look, but he grinned, and he kissed her again, sliding his hands down to her sides, pushing her yoga pants and panties down to the floor. She stepped out of them, and he couldn't help but lick his lips. "Lie down," he whispered hoarsely.

She grinned at him, and she shook her head. "You're up to something." She rose up, and she brushed her lips across his.

He glanced down at the bulge in his jeans. "I'm always 'up' to something around you."

She pushed him down on the bed, and she pulled off his jeans. "Hey," he mock protested. "This was supposed to be my game!"

She climbed over him, planting soft kisses on his chest. "And now, it's my game." She gripped him in her hand, and she rubbed the tip of her thumb gently around the head.

"Cock tease," he snorted, gripping the covers tightly.

"Man-whore," she shot back. She guided him inside her, moaning softly.

"I'm the whore?" he grunted, guiding her hips into a rhythm. "You're the one with a dick inside you."

"Shut up and fuck me." She closed her eyes, pressing her palms against his chest.

He growled, and rolled her over so she was on her back. "Fine. You asked for it." He adjusted his pace, causing her to writhe underneath him. It wasn't long before he felt her silky hot walls tense around him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold out for long. After a few powerful thrusts, trying to extend her orgasm, and he was moaning out his. He felt himself let go, and he closed his eyes, trying to prolong his feeling.

He was lying on his side, his arm draped across her torso possessively. The only sounds in the room was their heavy breathing. She looked over at him. "Going to tell me what that was about."

"I'm a guy, you're hot. I was horny, and apparently so were you." He opened one eye. "Do I need to explain it further. Geez, I thought you were a doctor, or something."

"You're an ass."

"So I've been told," he muttered.

"This isn't about me going away for a few days, is it?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Nope. It's about me being a guy, and getting an all access pass to you love muffin. Who wouldn't take advantage of that?"

"House, you acted like a guy who may not ever get any again. So what's going on in that Rubik's cube of your mind."

"I'm always acting like a guy who may not ever get _any_ from you again. I mean, who knows how what you may do if you found out I lied to you and did that biopsy without your permis...oops." He grinned at her.

"Haha," she laughed dryly sitting up in bed. She reached for her robe. "I already know about the biopsy. And trust me, we'll talk about that later."

He watched as she put her robe on. "Gonna make me dinner, too?"

She glanced over at him. "You were going to bring us take out, and you didn't. You can get your own dinner."

"And you didn't like what I brought you? Selfish bitch," he exclaimed.

She looked at him. "It's just a few days, and I'm going with Wilson. Everything will be fine."

He looked at her for a long moment. "How about getting food?" He sat up, and he began dressing.

She walked over to him, and she put her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her hand, then looked in her eyes. "I don't know why you're worried, but I'm sure you have a good reason. Relax, okay."

He took a deep breath, and nodded. Then they headed to the kitchen.

--------------------------------------------------

The next day, he was eating Wilson's lunch with him. "Why are you so concerned about Cuddy going to that conference?" Wilson took a bite out of his sandwich.

"I'm not," he snagged a chip off of Wilson's plate, popping it into his mouth.

They were sitting in the cafeteria, late in the afternoon. It was that slow time after the lunch rush, and well before the dinner rush, so there weren't that many people around.

Wilson gave him a skeptical look. "And you've just been harassing her for nothing today."

House didn't look at him. Instead, he focused on the flat screen TV on the wall, finding the muted CNN program far more interesting than what his friend was saying. Wilson wasn't giving up so easily. "You know, you once told me that I'm bad at losing people," he mused aloud.

"Oh god, here we go," he muttered, popping another chip in his mouth.

Wilson glared at him. "You're just as bad at losing people, you know. Except you deal with it differently. You keep people at arms length, or you push those who get too close away." He watched House's facial expressions carefully. The man spoke more with his eyes than the ever would with words. Then it struck him. "You're afraid she's going to push you away."

Like she did the first time, he thought to himself. "You ever think about changing your specialization from oncology to psychology?" He grabbed his cane, and he reached out and snatched one last chip. Chewing on it, he limped toward the door.

"You know," he groaned at the sound of Wilson's voice behind him. "You keep avoiding it, and it will just keep following you."

"Like you are?" He turned towards Wilson, who had to catch up. He leaned on his cane, watching his friend close the gap between them.

"Someone has to follow you around and be your conscience."

"If only you were a cricket," he muttered. Wilson heard him, and he rolled his eyes. "I'd be able to flick you across the room, then I could go on my merry way.

"On the route to self-destruction, no doubt." Wilson raised an eyebrow.

House shot him an annoyed look. "You're nowhere near as cute as Cuddy is when she smirks."

A wide grin formed on Wilson's face. "So, you think Cuddy's cute?"

"I find certain aspects of her aesthetically pleasing." The elevator opened, and the entered the car. "So, how's that nurse in NICU. The one with the large headlights, that I saw you flirting with this morning.

Wilson felt his face grow warm. "No...nothing's going on..."

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. "If it was nothing, you wouldn't be blushing." He quickly hobbled out of the car, leaving Wilson behind, embarrassed and a bit dumbfounded as he made his way to his office.

-------------------------

Later that night, he was stretched out on his couch, his leg propped up on some pillows. He had an old, worn organic chem book in his lab, and using the tips of his fingers, he brushed an old inscription, scribbled out in blue ink. He traced the letters, thinking about all the memories those letters brought back to him. She had written it to him the same night she took his old Stones t-shirt as a trophy.

He took a long drink of bourbon, thinking back to his earlier conversation with Wilson. He couldn't help but be concerned with her leaving. It was a rational fear, and he felt his heart hammer in his chest just thinking about it. He thought back to that morning, and waking up alone. He slammed the book shut, and he got to his feet.

He limped over to the bookshelf, and he placed the battered textbook back in its place. Pausing for half a moment, he then began pulling some other texts and journals off the shelf. He hobbled back over to the couch, and he began to research his latest case, hoping that by getting lost in the medical puzzles he loved, he would be able to squash those old memories.


	28. Chapter 28

She hadn't told him goodbye. She didn't tell him she'd miss him, and there weren't any tearful hugs or bittersweet kisses. There was no lingering looks, or promises to be there when she got back. That wasn't their way. It was easy not to let someone down when there wasn't any expectations.

She met Wilson at the airport, alone. After parking her car in the travel lot, she met him by the curb, and they entered together, checking in their small travel suitcases. They were both dressed professionally, she in skirt and heels, he in slacks and a tie. She stifled a giggle when she saw him. For as meticulous as he was in his dress, he owned the most horrendous ties.

He greeted her with a warm smile. "Ready to go?"

She shot him a look. "I still don't understand why I have to go to this thing," she groused as they made their way to their terminal.

"Administrators have to understand these new technologies, too." He glanced at her. "Despite what House claims, you are a doctor, and a damn good one at that. You may need to use these, too. Or at least, understand them enough to help us use them.

She adjusted her laptop bag. "Why couldn't you just have went, and then filled me in on it."

He shook his head. "Cuddy, the hospital will still be there when we get back." He chuckled at her uneasiness. That brick building was truly her baby.

She gave him a dirty look. "Easy for you to say. You don't have to worry about House destroying the MRI machine, or causing nurses to quit, or performing dangerous procedures, or..."

He raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, you win. But I'm also not the one who's encouraged him to do all of those insane things over the years." He watched as her face fell from a smirk, to deep worry. "Lisa, I was kidding. What's wrong?"

She waved him off. "It's nothing. Oh look! Our flight is boarding. She walked briskly to the gate.

He shook his head an sighed. Then he picked up his briefcase and followed her. _Those two belong to each other_, he mused, thinking that they'd drive anyone else crazy.

--------------------------------------------

He stood in his office, playing _Stairway to Heaven_ on his electric guitar. His team sat around the Conference Room table, each engrossed in their own interests. Kutner looked up from his _Trekkie_ magazine, and he grinned. "Hey guys," he informed the the rest of the team, "this could be interesting." The rest of the team looked up, to see Cameron walking towards House's office.

"She's even dressing like Cuddy," Taub observed.

Foreman rolled his eyes. Shaking his head, he turned his eyes back to his journal. He hoped Cameron knew what she was getting into. This could either prove to be very good, or it could end in disaster. Personally, he felt that the latter was the most likely to happen, and it would be better for everyone if they just stayed out of the way. It would make their lives easier, while watching hers implode.

Thirteen turned and grinned enigmatically at Taub. "She doesn't have the legs to pull it off," she commented mildly. All three men turned towards her, giving her looks. "What?" she shrugged. "Cuddy has great legs, she," she nodded towards Cameron, "doesn't. Not compared to Cuddy."

Grinning, the team turned their attention to the office, wondering what fireworks they were going to have the pleasure of seeing.

Cameron walked briskly and confidently into his office. She stood at the door for a moment, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence. When he continued to ignore her, she cleared her throat, shifting her weight uneasily from one foot to the other. When he still didn't greet her, she, finally exasperated, unplugged his guitar.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he stared irately at the plug in her hand.

"Giving you a case." She thrust the blue folder toward him. He stared at her a moment, then he limped a few steps toward her, snatching the file from her hands. "You look better," she observed, as she watched him peruse the file.

"Mmm-hmm," he answered non-committedly, flipping through the file. "Non-stop sex with my boss will do that." He handed her the file back. "Thanks, but no thanks." He took the plug back from her, and the began to play again.

"House!" She was shocked at his behavior. "I'm your boss! You have to take this case!"

"No you aren't, and no I don't. And I know you can't fire me. Go do what Cuddy's grooming you for: kissing donor's asses and assigning parking spaces." He turned away, and he began to play a few notes of Bon Jovi's _You Give Love A Bad Name._

She slammed the file down on his desk, then she turned and left the room. As she walked away, he smiled a sly half smile. There was no way he was going to lose this game, and she was making it easy for him.

-----------------------------------------------

She and Wilson walked into the big lecture hall, the feeling of apprehension having washed away after a shower and a cup of really good coffee. She looked around the room, seeing many of her friends and colleagues over the years. She and Wilson mingled around the room, greeting fellow doctors and administrators. She was in her comfort zone, meeting and greeting, discussing careers and families.

She almost missed the low voice behind her. It took someone tapping on her shoulder. She turned around, and saw a tall man with short pale hair, a blond beard, and twinkling slate gray eyes. "Alec?" she couldn't believe it. "Alec Hanson?"

She hugged him warmly. "Lisa Cuddy," he murmured. "God, it's good to see you again!"


	29. Chapter 29

October, 1985

Three weeks.

She'd went to the library every day for three weeks, watching and waiting. He never came. She swallowed her disappointment, and she was determined to not let it get her down. She refused to pine away for him, like she'd seen too many of her friends do over guys. She continued to study hard, and she began to play tennis during her free time, so she didn't have to think about him. She had played in high school, and she found it a relaxing way to keep her mind off of him.

One bright and sunny Saturday in early October, she had just left the outdoor courts. She inhaled deeply, relishing the cool air and bright sunshine. She smiled slightly, shouldering her bag, and she made her way to her car. She opened the trunk, and she put the bag in the wide empty space, humming softly to herself.

"Hey there!" a male voice called out from behind her. She jumped up, and she turned around, her heart hammering in her chest. She blinked a couple of times before embracing the man that stood behind her.

"Alec! You idiot!" She wrapped her arms around him. "You nearly sent me into shock! You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!" She stepped back, and she swatted him on the arm in playful irritation.

He grinned at her. "At least I'm almost a doctor. I'd be able to treat you for it." He nearly laughed at her smirk. "So, how have you been?"

She sighed, "I've been alright. Classes have kept me busy. Organic Chem will be the death of me, but at least it's interesting." She shifted her gaze away from him, then snapped her eyes back to his. "How are you?"

"Busier now more than ever," he admitted. "Applying for Residencies. I'm hoping to get back to Pittsburgh, to be closer to my family, you know. We're kind of a tight knit clan." He shrugged.

"I hope you get a residency close to you home," she told him sincerely, having an image of him setting around a dinner table with other polite, friendly blond people.

Her image of him dissolved when, with a sheepish grin, he admitted, "there's also this girl. I met her as an undergrad. She just graduated from med school last spring, and now she's at Pitt. She wants to be a pediatrician." He blushed, "I'm, I'm kinda going to ask her to marry me next weekend.

She was in shock. She had no idea that Alec was even in a serious relationship. "Oh, Alec!" She hugged him again. "I'm so happy for you!"

He hugged her back. "Thanks. She's the one, you know." Just like you're the one for Greg," he thought, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that. It wasn't his lace. But he could see it. He'd always been able to see it. If only they could see it...

"We should celebrate," she told him, doing some quick thinking. "On a college budget, of course. How about going to the Pub, and just relaxing?" She was so happy for her friend.

"Yeah, that'll work!" he agreed readily. "I'll meet you there. He walked away, trying to figure out how to get Greg to go there. He felt responsible for causing Greg to push her away. Now he felt the need to make it up to them.

-------------------------------------------

"You're a moron."

Alec rolled his eyes at Greg's reaction. "Why, for falling in love, or for getting married?"

"Getting married. We're twenty-five. We're supposed to be in love with every girl we see. Why do you want to spend your life with just one?"

"Because we're not all destined to be misanthropes," Alec commented dryly, waiting for his reply. He watched as Greg carefully arranged vials in a battered wooden chest.

"So, who's the lucky girl that going to break your poor little heart," Greg asked, carrying the chest back to his closet, where he carefully put it in the back.

"You know her. Elizabeth, from our classes." Alec leaned against the door frame, watching as Greg put some items in his bag.

"You're still seeing her? Why?"

"The sex was that good," he commented dryly.

"So, pay her for it. Take her out to dinner. Buy her some jewelry, flowers. Don't marry her."

"Remind me not to ask you to be my best man," he moved out of Greg's way as he exited his room.

"Don't come crying to me when you surprise her with this next weekend, and you catch her in bed with someone that's not you." He shouldered his bookbag, and headed towards the front door.

"I won't. But still, come out, have a drink with me at The Pub tonight." He knew about his friend's attitude towards marriage, and this was the exactly the reaction that he thought he was going to get.

"The Pub," Greg pondered the situation. "Okay, but you're buying. No way I'm toasting the biggest mistake of your life.

"Fine," he looked pointedly at the bag, "and if you get arrested, I'm not bailing your sorry ass out of jail until tomorrow.

He grinned at Alec. "I'll see you at The Pub later."

As he left, his thoughts turned to Alec's impending engagement. He felt his friend was going to get hurt, and there wasn't anything that he could do about it.

He sighed, and headed for the lab.


	30. Chapter 30

_**A/N...**_

_**So, I'm back :) Sorry for the rather long hiatus, but I had some serious RL issues that I needed to work through. Now, all is good, and I can return to writing. I apologize for leaving you hanging, and I hope you forgive me. So, for those who haven't forgotten, here's the next chapter :)**_

**Fall, 1985  
**

The Pub was packed on this Saturday night. A band was playing rollicking pop tunes, and the dance floor was crowded with gyrating students. The Wolverines had won ha huge road game, and the students who were unlucky enough not to have tickets, or the means to travel, were celebrating all over campus.

Lisa walked in wearing heels and a skirt. She hated heels, but she felt the situation called for them. A light feminine blouse completed the ensemble. She left the jacket at the apartment, praying the shoulder pads would go out of style soon. There was no reason that a woman should be walking around looking like one of the Michigan football players. It wasn't a flattering style.

She spotted Alec and a small group of people sitting at a large corner table. She recognized them from her classes, and she knew they were med students, but she didn't really know them. She put on her winning smile, and she headed towards there table.

"Lisa!" Alec stood up, and he gave her a warm hug. "This is Eric, Jessie, and David. And, of course, you know Micheal." He introduced her to the table. She sat down as everyone greeted her, and she ordered a water. She politely listened as the conversation resumed.

"How can you live with that arrogant ass?" Jessie, a petite young woman asked, brushing her fine dark hair behind her shoulder. She sipped her drink as she waited for his answer.

"Greg's a good guy," Alec stated firmly. This was brought up in nearly every conversation he had with his friends. Just because they didn't understand his roommate. He sighed to himself, mentally preparing himself for battle.

"Yeah," Micheal laughed. "Buried deep down, underneath the bullshit. How many calls have you gotten in the middle of the night to bail his sorry, skinny ass out of jail?" Alec made a non committal sound, and he sipped his drink, waiting for Micheal to continue.

David shook his head. "He's smart, but why the hell does he want to become a doctor? Dr. Lee ripped hi on his poor bedside manner, and he wasn't the first doctor to do that. Accredited doctors can't act like that, so why does he think he can?" Disgusted, he sullenly downed his drink.

She blinked at the venom in his rant, and she tilted his head to one side, watching their reactions. She bristled at him and Micheal, and their arrogance. At least Greg didn't hide his arrogance from the world. He let the world know just what kind of a person he was.

She watched with mild admiration at how calmly and coolly Alec handled the situation. If he didn't want to become a doctor, he could easily become a diplomat. He defended himself and his decisions easily without defending Greg. He calmly explained that living with Greg was better than most of the roommates he had as an undergrad.

Micheal scoffed at that. "He eats your food, doesn't clean up, ever, and he lies and cheats. Why is it worth having that ssh0le around?"

"He keeps life interesting." Alec stated simply, sipping his beer.

"Interesting? You don't kick him out because he's interesting?" Jessie rolled her eyes. "He's not above lying, cheating, and stealing, and you think he's interesting."

"I don't kick him out because he pays his half of the rent," he shrugged. "I think that's good enough."

She was just about to defend Alec, when she heard a weary, familiar voice call out, " my ears are burning." Greg's tall, lanky figure made his way to the table, and he dumped his bookbag beside an empty chair. He sat in between Alec and David, across from her. She immediately averted her eyes, and she focused on her drink.

"Greg," David greeted him, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

"Cut the crap, Dave." Greg looked at him, appraising him. "You're still sore that I got the NYU internship last summer. Get over it. You'll never be close to having my medical abilities." He coolly ordered a drink, and watched the other med student's reaction.

"I don't need to hear this." David stood up abruptly, and he motioned Jessie to as well. "Congratulations, Alec, on your engagement. I hope you chose your fiancee better than you chose your friends." They both left the table, leaving the rest of the group in stunned silence.

"Well, Greg," Micheal watched as the two med students left, "you do know how to make a great entrance. And know how to set up an entertaining exit."

"I'm setting up my career writing for Carson on the Tonight Show," he commented dryly. "I noticed you're not leaving in righteous indignation. Pretending to be the nice guy? To turn the other cheek? That's our heavy metal Quaker's job," He nodded at Alec, who just rolled his eyes.

"Just because I'm immune to your..."

"You are not immune to me," Greg quickly cut him off. "You pretend to be the good guy, but underneath it all, you're a cockroach that scurries back to the crack in the cabinet once someone turns the light on." He picked up his beer, and he drank half of it in one pull.

"You're right." Micheal got to his feet, and he looked coolly at Greg. "I'm not immune to your insults." He avoided the man's piercing blue stare, and he turned to Lisa and Alec. "I hope you two don't get fleas from this dog." He turned and left.

"Another stunning example of your infamous interpersonal relationship skills," Alec sighed, shaking his head.

Greg's eyes never left Micheal's back. "Son of a bitch ratted me out." He flicked a quick glace over at Alec. Security was crawling all over the place."

"Well," she commented mildly, "if you weren't so obvious, you wouldn't have to worry about getting caught."

Two sets of eyes flickered over to her. "How did you..." Greg narrowed his eyes, and he folded his arms across his chest, trying to figure her out.

"Before you pull a prank, or are just generally up to no good, you get twitchy." She smiled at him smugly.

"'Twitchy?'" he choked out. "You're basing your entire diagnosis on twitchy? You are going to make a fantastic doctor someday." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

She sat up straighter, raising an elegant eyebrow at him. "Okay, you want more symptoms, doctor.? You're eyes shift nervously, and you tend to scratch underneath your chin more, even when you're clean shaven. You jump when someone comes up behind you unexpectedly. You also become more distant, but you're usually almost hyper aware of your surroundings, which is why you jump so much when someone you don't expect is able to sneak up on you." She gave him a lazy smirk. "You also sweat more."

Alec raised his eyebrows, impressed. Eric, the other med student snickered in his drink. Greg smirked at her, and he raised his glass. "Well played, sir. Too bad you're wrong, about all of it. But you're still more observant than ninety percent of the people on this campus. Are you free next Saturday night? I need a lookout, and your keen observation skills would be useful?" He glared at Eric, who stopped snickering and tried to look abashed, but couldn't stop grinning.

Alec gave him a look and shook his head. "Aren't your parents coming up next weekend?"

He shrugged. "Can't think of a better way to avoid the folks than spending the night in jail." He leaned back in his chair, training his keen stare on her, watching her reaction.

"Is not seeing your parents worth getting arrested?" She gave him a long look, her eyes not leaving his.

He gave her a sly half smile. "There are a lot of things worth getting arrested for. And the experimental drugs in Room 223 are more than worth it." He smirked at her. "Not seeing my parents is just a bonus.

Alec buried his face in his hands. "You're risking expulsion, your future career, and all the money you've already thrown away for med school for drugs. You're a moron."

She laughed out loud, causing Alec and Eric to give her funny looks. "He's not risking anything for drugs, you idiots. He's after something else. What? Only he knows." She stood up, preparing to leave.

Alec stood up with her, and she gave him a hug. "Good luck Alec. Your girlfriend is lucky to have such a sweet guy like you." She turned to leave, and she walked toward the front doors, with a pair of intense blue eyes glued to her backside.

He watched her almost reach the front doors, when he grabbed his bag. "Gotta go!" He shouldered the bag, and he headed towards the door himself. Alec sat back down in the chair, and he finished his drink. Mission accomplished, he thought, and he smiled smugly.

Eric looked over at his poker buddy and grinned. "You think it'll work out, between them?"

"Oh, hell no!" Alec surprised himself by admitting it. "But they'll have one hell of a fun ride while it lasts!" And they'll be together for a lifetime, just not how we all think. He wondered where that thought came from.

-------------------------------------------

She had almost reached her car, when she sensed someone coming up behind him. "You're not half as sneaky as you think you are." She turned to him, lifting an eyebrow in challenge.

"I wanted you to know I was there." His blue eyes searched hers. He moved close to her, and she could help but feel her heart pound. After spending three weeks of trying not to think of him, he could drive her mad with a single look.

She didn't look away. "Why?"

He carefully unzipped his bag. "You were right, you know. It's wasn't about the drugs."

She smirked smugly. "I knew it wasn't about drugs."

It was his turn to smirk. "Yes, you were right. It's bound to happen every once in a while. Don't get used to the feeling." He pulled a small white mouse from the bag. "Take care of it for me, will you?"

"Wait, what?" She blinked as he put the squeaking rodent in her palm.

"They were going to kill it," he sounded like a forlorn little boy. "Because it had out lived it's usefulness. I can't keep it, in case someone talks, or rats me out."

"Why?" Her voice trailed of, as he took her other hand and covered the mouse with it.

"Because we shouldn't kill things just because we can. Everything deserves a shot, a chance."

She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. "Yes, of course, I'll keep it."

He nodded. "Thanks." Then, as she blinked, she felt his warm hands leave hers, and he was gone. It was only then that she thought, how do I take care of a mouse?"


	31. Chapter 31

A few days later, he was sitting in his office, staring at the ceiling tiles, working a puzzle in his mind. It was a patient he had seen on his rounds, and none of the doctors had been able to diagnose her properly. They told him that he shouldn't worry about her, but here he now sat, the scrambled list of symptoms falling into place, like a game of Connect Four played by hyperactive kids. They shoved the pieces into the bright yellow molded plastic tray, and he shoved symptoms in a pre-sorted bin, tryng to find the ones that fit.

There were too many blanks, and it wasn't his case, anyway, but he still tried to fill it. He twirled a long yellow pencil in his fingers. It was for a distraction. It was a way of keeping his hands busy while his mind worked at a feverish pace, frantically shifting into overdrive.

He barely registered the door to his office opening and closing. His focused eyes never left the ceiling, but when he heard her voice, filled with irritation, indigence, and yes, a bit of amusement, he smiled. Her words echoed in the small room, causing him to put the girls symptoms aside for the moment, and focused on her.

"You gave me one of the neurology department's genetically modified lab mice? Are you out of your mind?" Her hands were on her hips, waiting for his retort. She was spoiling for a debate today.

"Shhhhhh," He hushed her, pressing a finger to his lips. He twisted the chair around so that he could face her.

"Don't shush me," she tried to keep the amused smile that kept threatening to form at bay. "I'm serious. Are you trying to get me expelled?"

"Nope. I'm trying to keep me from getting expelled. You're the goodie-goodie of the department." He winked at her. "They'll never suspect you. Unless you blab about it. So...shush."

"The one flaw in your remarkably clever plan," he winced at her thick sarcasm, "is that I'm good friends with the school lunatic. I heard Dr. Marcus and Dr. Smith talking on my way to visit Dr. Marcus' office hours, and they said that the school knows you dyed the fountain's water orange. They just can't prove it. As I was leaving Marcus' office, he gave me yet another warning about you, and about how you're a bad influence. That makes every professor and T.A. I've had this semester that has warned me to "be careful around that Greg House" and how I "don't want to be taken down with him."

"Nice." He leaned back in his chair, his hands folded behind his head. "Lunatic has a nice ring to it, don't ya think?"

"Stop deflecting. Why did you give me that mouse?"

He hopped up from his chair, and he took her gently, but firmly, by the upper arm, and he led her out of his office. Steering her down the hall, he leaned over, and he whispered in her ear. "I do not want the entire department to know what I did, thank you. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I do NOT want to be expelled."

She smirked at him. "So, what you're saying is, you owe me, right?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "I don't own you anything." He returned her smirk.

In a low, but argumentative and combative voice, she murmured back, "I'm keeping stolen property for you, so you don't get expelled or arrested. "You owe me."

He stopped in a deserted hallway, and he answered her in the same low voice, but with a slightly mocking lilt to it. "You are in possession of said stolen property. You rat on me, I rat on you." His eyes gleamed with mischief. "That, and by the end of the day, the entire medical science department will know you love the ladies. Literally." He smirked at her smugly.

She laughed. "Blackmail. And not even particularly good blackmail. You honestly think you, the school lunatic, can blackmail me. The science department's "goodie-goodie?"

He shrugged. "It's worked in the past."

She laughed, and she walked down the hallway, leaving him in the middle of it, but not before calling back, "You owe me."

Before she disappeared around a corner, he called, "You doin' anything Saturday night?"

She turned, and came back to him. "No, but Alec told me you're having dinner with your parents."

He shrugged, "Yeah, but I could always use a drink or nine after one of those. I'm thinking about going to a jazz club in Lansing. But if you're not interested..."

"I'll be at your place at 8."

"Make it six."

The parted, and he went back to his office to obsess about the patient, but this time, he had a smile on his face.

-------------------------------------------

That Saturday night, he was having a very uncomfortable dinner with his parents.

He was picking at his food, wishing that he was anywhere except he was. He hated these family get togethers. The past always made him uncomfortable, and these two, especially his father, were reminders of his painful youth.

"So, Greg dear, how are your classes going?" his mother asked him gently. Always keeping up appearances, but he knew, despite what she had allowed to happen to him, that she cared for him. He didn't necessarily forgive her, but, now, he understood why she had done what she did.

He had never been able to lie to her. Not since he was four, and he stole a candy bar from the local grocery on the base where they were stationed. She'd never told his father, afraid of the beating that he would have received, but the guilt trip from her had been nearly as bad.

"Classes are going fine, Mom. No trouble this semester." He caught the look of relief wash over her face.

"Semester ain't over yet, boy," his father rumbled, giving him an authoritative look. "Or are you gonna put your mother and I through more of your bullsh1t. Lord knows you're a stubborn ss. And you ain't never gonna change."

"People don't change," he muttered, bitterly.

"What was that boy?" His father put down his silverware. Two sets of hard blue eyes met each other, and the temperature of the room dropped by ten degrees.

"People. Don't. Change," he spat, icily.

"I'll make sure they care that on your headstone, boy. 'Cause you sure as hell ain't gonna change."

Something stirred in Greg's chest. The little boy that craved his father's approval was still there, buried underneath the cynicism and sarcasm, trapped inside an angry young man. "I'm not a boy. In case you haven't noticed, I have grown up."

His father opened his mouth to give him a retort, but his mother cut him off. So, Greg, are you dating anyone? I hate to see you so alone."

He smiled wearily at his mother, and her attempt to bring civility back to the conversation. "Dating, no..."

She caught the twinkle behind his blue eyes. "But?" she gave him a playful smirk.

"But, I'm tutoring this hot little brunette in Organic Chem. With my help, she may even pass." With that, the war of attrition that he and his father waged reached a stalemate, and the conversation, while not wholly civil, didn't erupt into all out violence, and the rest of the dinner went by without incident.

-----------------------------------------

She sat at her desk, reading a book. It was past eight, and he had failed to show up at her apartment like they had planned.

'Maybe his dinner with his parents just ran over,' she thought to herself. 'But, Alec told me that he hated his parents.'

As the hours ticked away, she warred with her thoughts on what he could have been doing. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, she fell asleep at her desk, her Organic Chem book as a pillow, wondering why he never showed up.

_**A/N - I had to edit this slightly! Thanks shion81, for catching that mistake :) That's what happens when I take too long to update, I forget important facts to the story :) If you ever catch stuff like that, please, tell me! I'm far from perfect :)**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**A/N – Sorry for the delay. New job keeps me busy...and exhausted. I'm not in a happy place right now, but, I keep telling myself a steady paycheck is better than no cash flow. Hopefully, something better comes along soon...**_

_**Anyway, we're in the present for this chapter, then back to the past. Enjoy!!!**_

Spring, 2009

The three of them sat around a table in the small restaurant. Wilson had to smile at the familiar way Alec and Cuddy addressed each other. She was usually so guarded about her past. Oh, he knew about her professional and academic achievements, but he realized just how little he knew about her, about Lisa Cuddy, the person. It made him feel like a failure as a friend.

He studied the tall, thin man who sat across him at the table. His blond hair was thinning, and cropped close to his head. He had a gentle smile, and he was easily likable. There were laugh lines around his slate gray eyes, and it seemed like there was a perpetual twinkle in those eyes. The man reminded him of an aging surfer, or an overgrown elf. He had a wicked sense of humor, and he constantly had both he and Cuddy laughing and smiling.

Wilson discovered that he was jealous that he was annoyed that this guy had known House, and had been his best friend's roommate.

"So, how have you been, Alec?" she asked, sipping a glass of wine. "I thought you were going into pediatrics. Are you now an oncologist?"

"Pediatric oncology," he answered serenely, unbuttoned the right cuff of his pressed shirt. He rolled up the sleeve, revealing the portrait tattoo of a smiling four year old girl on his right shoulder. "Alyssa," he said softly, gently brushing the tattoo with the tips of his fingers. "My first born. Lymphoma."

"Oh Alec," Cuddy's voice was full of sympathy for her friend. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"It's alright, Lisa. I don't mean to be a buzz kill, but sometimes you just can't ignore the elephant in the china shop. It would have come up sometime anyway, and I find, the earlier the better. She's the reason I became an oncologist, and I've never regretted that decision." He smiled at her gently, "I mean, when you've lived with Greg House for three years, you learn that the faster you rip the band-aid off, the less it'll hurt in the long run."

She chuckled, "you still suck at metaphors."

"You lived with House for three years? Are you insane? Or just a masochist?" Wilson was astonished. "I mean, I lived him for a month once, and I barely made it out alive."

Alec laughed. "Well, I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't easy. I did all the cooking, cleaning, studying, and bailed him out of jail, and he paid the rent, took me to parties, and taught me that it's true, what doesn't kill you really does make you stronger. I learned that one after he super-glued my eye-lids shut after a party."

Wilson laughed, nodding his agreement, thinking back to his time as House's keeper.

Alec turned to Cuddy. "What about you, Miss Dean of Medicine? What's new with you? You still breaking doctor's hearts left and right."

She gave a strangled laugh, and she toyed with her wine glass. "I'm too busy to break hearts."

Wilson snorted into his drink, and Alec grinned at her. "That tells me your a liar. He appraised her. "Greg's taught you a trick or two."

"He should have," Wilson couldn't stop himself. "She's dating him no..owwww!" He felt a sharp pain in his shin where she kicked him with her pointed toe heels.

"Lisa? You and Greg? FINALLY! It's about time!" He chuckled at her red face, and he ignored the glare she shot both of them.

"Wait, what do you mean, 'it's about time?'" Wilson asked innocently.

"Nothing!" She gave Alec the death glare she reserved for House when he did something particularly insane or stupid.

He ignored it expertly, and he grinned at Wilson. "She and Greg have been dancing around each other since they met. It took them long enough to stop being stiff necked bastards." He turned his mischievous grin on her. "It's the truth! Don't give me that look!" He took a long drink of his beer, his eyes twinkling.

Wilson finally relaxed, amused by this good natured man, trying to figure out how House had scarred him.

----------------------------------------------------

House limped into his office, tossing Kutner his name badge. "Cuddy's mini-me says I need to be in the clinic, so go, be me."

Thirteen looked up at him. "Cuddy's mini me also said she had orders from Cuddy to put us on suspension if we did your clinic hours. So, you need to be you." She went back to reading the file that was on the table.

"Is that the case I told Cameron I wasn't taking?" He reached for the file.

"It's a legitimate case. You're not taking it, because it's a power play with Cameron." Taub pointed out.

"Good think I have you here to explain my motives to me." House turned to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" Kutner asked.

"Wilson's office." He left the room, leaving his fellows to wonder how soon Cuddy and Wilson were going to come back to restrain House.

---------------------------------------------------

It was nightfall, and Cuddy found herself walking along the shore of Lake Michigan with Alec.

They watched the glittering lights of the city reflect of the dark waters, enjoying the cool spring air. Her heels clicked over the side walk, and her arms were folded across her chest, her jacket not quite keeping the wind from reaching her skin.

"So, you and Greg, huh?" Alec kept his slate gray gaze on the water. "Dating? Really?"

She hugged herself tightly. "Not really...dating..."

"Screwing?" He grinned at her, then grew serious. "What's wrong, Lisa?" he asked softly. He'd watched her all night, and her body language had told him something wasn't quite right.

"I'm...I don't know," she admitted softly. "I should be happy, but..."

"Do you love him?" The simple question hung heavily in the air between them.

"Yes. No." She sighed. "I don't know. It's..." she paused, fumbling for the right words, and he waited patiently, making no effort to hurry her. "It's complicated. "We've been playing this game of tag for so many years. I'm worried that the game might be over, and I'll, no, we'll, get bored." She nudged a few pebbles on the cement with the toe of her shoe.

"How does he feel about it?" He sat down on a bench nearby, and he gazed across the ink black waters of the Lake.

She gracefully sat next to him, then slumped. "I think...he's afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"That...this...is temporary." she sighed. "Just like it was before." She closed her eyes, blocking the old hurt.

"Well, is it?" He looked at her. His gaze wasn't as piercing as House's, but she could still feel him reading her, watching her reactions. He was x-raying her, but she didn't feel anything but concern radiating from him.

"I...don't...know," she choked out, hesitatingly.

He frowned, then nodded, gently touching her forearm, gaining her attention. Softly, and keeping his voice low, he murmured, "then you better find out. For both of your sakes."

**********************************

It was evening, and Kutner stood next to Taub in the cafeteria line. He frowned slightly. "House seems off today." He put a sandwich on Taub's tray.

Taub frowned and sighed. "So would you if your moral compass and access to your boss' love rug was taken away."

Kutner's face twisted into a puzzled and grossed out expression, then it hit him. "Oh! You're talking about House!" He grabbed a package of cupcakes and tosed them on the tray, too.

"Do you only eat junk food?" Taub complained as he reached the cashier. He looked a Kutner, who glanced at the food, then back to Taub, a grin forming on his face. Taub sighed, and he took out his wallet, and he paid for their meals. "And, yes, I was talking about House. He's lost. No Cuddy. No Wilson. And he's been giving Cameron the run around to distract him."

"It _**was**_ funny to see him diagnose that patient with one look." Kutner took a bite out of his sandwich. Chewing thoughtfully, he looked at Taub. "You think Cuddy's gonna break up with him?"

"Considering that officially, they're not dating, tough to do."

"They may not be dating, but they are sleeping together. If her leaving for a few days affects him like this, how's he going to act when she ditches him completely."

Taub grimaced, then sarcastically informed his friend, "I'm sure they'll both handle the situation in an adult and reasonable manner."

Both men looked at each other, then snorted, realizing they'd be better off preparing for the nuclear holocaust.


	33. Chapter 33

_**A/N -**_

_**Forgive me for being so tardy in updating this. I've been struggling with just how I want it to go. Sometimes, I have these ideas in my head, but they're so hard to put down on paper. Anyway, I haven't forgotten about it at all, I've just been trying hard to figure out just where I want it to go. :-)**_

_**So, this chapter is in the past, and we're jumping quite a bit of time. It's been part of why I've taken forever to update. I tried to do some different things, but felt I was just dragging it out. I was boring myself with it, so I'm jumping ahead for dynamic purposes :-)**_

**_I hope you all still like it :-)_ **

The season's had swiftly changed, and time had passed. A lot of time, and they had drifted apart. The magical semester and summer that they had spent together had been just that, magical. She thought back, and many of her memories were blurry. So much fun had been had, but it had passed so fast, the sands of time flowing by like dust in the wind.

And now, it was over.

Winter and Christmas had come and gone, as did Doug. Doug was in her psychology class, and he had asked her out after an exam one day. He was tall, with dark hair and brilliant blue eyes, and a dazzling smile. He was a nice guy, who had broken up with her after exactly one month. He claimed it was her inability to open up.

He wasn't wrong.

Jeff had said the same thing, breaking up with her after a completely unromantic Valentine's Day, but he had added her reluctance to spend time with him as apart of the reason.

Tim hadn't even lasted one date. She had returned from the bathroom to find him making out with their waitress. She had later found out that the waitress was his ex-girlfriend, and she was his "rebound." Turned out, he didn't need a rebound.

Now it was Spring, and John had stopped returning her phone calls.

She now had proof that she was a relationship killer.

Professionally, she was on the fast track to graduating a year early, and she had been offered a couple of great internships from excellent hospitals in Chicago and Boston. Internships that were usually only offered to students already in med school. She was also carrying a full course load with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

She should have been happy.

But she was miserable.

She was sitting outside on a grassy area on campus, enjoying the late April air. Michigan winters were harsh and long, so a sunny, sixty degree day seemed to lift her waning spirits. She leaned up against a large maple tree, the leaves just starting to unfurl. She had her books in front of her, but she wasn't looking at them.

She found herself watching the people milling about the area. Couples walked by, hand in hand, or they sat, side by side on blankets on the freshly mowed grass, touching, giggling. Just being happy.

They had something. Something she wasn't, and couldn't seem to find.

Love.

She scoffed to herself. There was no such thing. So, she opened her books, and she re-entered the world of the real and rational.

The world she was most comfortable with.

* * *

House sat on his couch, attempting to read a book. He had made it. He couldn't believe it. There was only one week until finals week, and then one more week until graduation.

He was actually graduating.

It was hard to believe, especially after he was kicked out of his first medical school. He was still struggling with the thought that after several long years, countless hours of studying and rounds, he was finally done. He still had his residency, fellowships, that stuff left to do, but he was done with step two. In two weeks, he would become an actual doctor.

He was going to pass all of his classes. Not that he could be one hundred percent sure, but he was that confident in his abilities. He just had to make it to his exams, so he had to make sure that the partying wasn't too over the top that last week. Med students knew how to study hard, but they also knew how to play hard, too. He had heard a rumor that the Phi Delts, the unofficial med student frat was going to have dueling kegs. Gary had bet him twenty bucks that he couldn't beat his record 68 second keg stand. Then, Mark had wanted him to perform his (in)famous flaming shot tower at their graduation party. Mark was even providing him with the Everclear to do it.

He smiled to himself. He may have not been the most popular med student, but when it came to partying in style, he was in much demand. He stretched out on the couch, brooding even more deeply than ever.

He should have been happy.

But he was miserable. He was just lying to himself about why.

He decided that he wasn't walking across the stage at graduation, despite the fact that his mother really wanted him to. He wanted no excuse to see his parents again, so he told her he already had a residency lined up, and how he would be moving right after getting the green light from the school.

He should have been excited, but he wasn't.

He groaned, leaning his head back against the armrest of the couch, just wanting the thought of her to leave him alone. He had caught himself hiding in the basement of the library, waiting for her behind the stacks, hoping she would show up, just wanting to catch a glimpse of her.

And often time he would.

He gritted his teeth in frustration, then gathered his books.

He felt the need to go to the library, even if it was just to torment himself, yet again.


	34. Chapter 34

_**A/N -**_

_**I want to thank you all for 200 reviews!! How cool is that???? I don't ask you to review, but I so appreciate that you do!! It makes my day!! It really does!!**_

_**Sorry I've been a bit slow in updating this, but I do when the muse speaks to me. Too bad my muse is an alcoholic who sometimes speaks in High Elvish. *sigh* I only speak the Elvish that is the twisted tongue of Mordor....;-P**_

_**Now, on to the tale...**_

_

* * *

_

_**May, 1986  
**_

"**Lisa. Hey Lisa! Hold up!" **

**It was Saturday, the last day of Finals Week, and she was walking across campus with some friends. The other girls were rating the date-ability of the guys walking across campus. **

"**No way, he's a freshman," Sandra wrinkled her nose at the skinny guy in the Grateful Dead t-shirt. **

**Kim laughed. "You're turning into Lisa," she grinned. "She only dates _older_ guys." **

**She opened her mouth to refute that statement, but realized that Kim was right. She really had only dated older guys. Thankfully, someone calling her name stopped the conversation. **

"**Hey Micheal, long time, no see." She smiled at the med-student, watching as he made his way over to her. **

"**See," Kim smirked. **

**The other girls laughed, and Micheal came over to them. "We'll see you after class, Lisa," Jessica giggled, and the rest of the girls left, leaving her alone with Micheal. **

"**How are your classes going," he asked awkwardly. **

"**Good, she answered. "What's up?" **

"**I hadn't seen you in a while," he smiled, showing off all of his very white teeth. "Congratulations on getting the Chicago summer internship." **

**She smiled, a bit nervously. "Thanks. I heard it's rarely given out to anyone other than seniors." She stood there, wondering why he had stopped her. **

"**That's right. Are you going to take classes over the summer?" **

"**Hard to, being in Chicago and all." **

"**Oh, that's right." He shook his head. "I guess the stress of graduating soon is finally getting to me." **

"**It's okay," she reassured him. "So, what do you want?" **

**His smiled faltered a little bit. "I was just wondering, if you were interested in..." **

"**Spit it out," she teased. **

"**There's a big party that a bunch of us who are graduating are putting on. I was wondering if you wanted to go. A last hurrah, you know, before we all move on." He smiled at her, waiting for her response. **

"**That sounds great. Of course I'll go." She hugged him lightly. "I'm going to miss you all when your gone. I'd love a last chance to say goodbye to everyone." **

"**Excellent," he smiled at her. "I'll see you at Chris' place, around 8ish." She turned ****to walk away, and told her. "And good luck on your finals. I'm sure you'll do well" **

"**Thanks!" she smiled, then she continued across campus, on her way to her last final. **

* * *

"**Stop moping!" **

**He looked up and and scowled at his roommate. "I'm not moping. I'm celebrating." **

**Alec returned his scowl. "What, destroying your liver before your thirty?" **

"**I'm graduating. That's cause for celebrating itself." He lifted his head off the arm of the couch, lifting the beer bottle in salute to his roommate. **

**Alec rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot, and a liar. You're moping 'cause you know you're gonna miss her." **

"**I don't know what you're talking about." **

"**I'm not talking about a what. I'm talking about a who," he dropped into a chair, turning off the TV. "Specifically, Lisa." **

"**Who's that," he pretended to be puzzled. "OHHH, that girl I used to tutor in the library last semester. I had completely forgotten about her. **

"**You're completely full of sh1t," Alec responded to his sarcasm. **

"**I'm completely full of something," he sat up. "Whoa, head rush," he muttered. **

"**Have you been drinking all day?" Alec's eyes widened. **

"**Nah, the past two days. No classes, no exams, no..." **

"**You're drowning your brain in booze. How sad is that." Alec shook his head, then he stood up, and saw the plastic milk crate full of empty beer bottles. "You really are that pathetic, aren't you?" **

"**I'm not pathetic. I'm delightful." **

**Alec shook his head. "No, you're pathetic. He stood up from the chair. "Sober up, big guy. You're going to a party tonight." **

"**So I can pretend to like people that hate me on sight." He finished the beer that was in his hand. "No thanks." **

"**So you can declare your undying love to the woman you love." Alec told him matter of factly. **

"**I'm not in love, and she's not gonna be there." **

"**Fine, even if she's not going to be there, come out, have a good time, for a change, instead of wallowing in self loathing." **

"**Why should I?" He folded his arms across his chest, pouting. **

**Alec threw up his hands. "Fine. Whatever. Don't go. I just wanted to get you out of the house for a night, instead of you never getting off the couch. Not healthy, man." **

**Greg turned on the TV, and the People's Court theme came on. "I'm perfectly healthy. Now, I'm gonna watch Judge Wapner give these morons hell." **

"**Whatever, dude." Alec left the room, leaving him alone.**

* * *

"**Hey! Wanna dance?" The loud music seemed to vibrate the walls. Madonna's **_**Like A Virgin**_** blasted from the stereo's huge speakers. The entire living room of the house had been emptied of furniture, allowing the large number of guest to mingle and dance to the music.**

"**Yeah!" She joined the big guy on the dance floor.**

"**I'm Robert." he shouted over the music. **

**They twisted together in a rhythm to the music. "I'm Lisa!" she called back. Even though they were inches apart, it was nearly impossible to hear each other.**

"**You dating anyone?"**

**She choked out a laugh. "I just met you, and you're asking about my availability?**

**He laughed, a rich sound. "Just making sure a jealous ex-boyfriend doesn't try to smash my face in."**

"**Just jealous former tutors. Move on, frat boy." She cringed as she saw him walk up behind Robert and tap him on the shoulder. Hard. The sour look on his face was enough to send the poor man away from her.**

**Greg had a reputation, and he used it to his advantage. He wasn't going to come to this shindig, but Alec's voice rang in his head, so he took a shower and drank what seemed like a couple of pots of coffee to sober up. Then he headed to what was supposed to be his last hurrah before moving on from med school.**

**He didn't expect to see her there, and he really didn't expect to see her dancing with some douche-bag frat boy in pre-med. He had to do something, so he made his move.**

"**You're an ass," she narrowed her eyes, angry at him.**

**He tilted his head to one side. "Dance with me."**

"**You don't speak to me for months, and now you want to dance," she growled, letting her anger out. "Go to hell, asshole." She tried to push past him, and he shot ****out a hand and touched her shoulder.**

"**Lisa, I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm an ass, but please, dance with me."**

**She sighed, teetering on giving in, when she heard a voice from behind her.**

"**Lisa, is this douche bothering you?"**

**She turned around. "No, Micheal. We're fine. Just having a mild disagreement..."**

"**Douche?" Greg's voice raised half an octave, as if he was insulted. "I'm more of an ass."**

**Micheal didn't even hesitate. His right hand balled into a fist, and he lashed out, striking Greg square in the right jaw, spinning him into a tub full of ice and beer.**

**Everyone froze, and the music stopped. Greg got up, staggering around. "Being an ass...," he gasped out, "is better than being a spineless jerk." He wiped the side of his mouth, then looked at his fingers, which were wet with blood.**

"**Don't you ever shut up?" Micheal growled. The other party goers were still in shock. While they might not have liked him, they'd always respected Greg's abilities, and his reputation as a badass had kept them from crossing him, but most of them didn't like Micheal any better.**

"**Micheal, you need to leave. Now." Lisa's voice broke across the crowd. She stood behind him, her eyes narrowed.**

"**He's been a jerk to you all year?" He whirled around, gesturing towards Greg. "And you still defend him? Why?"**

**She turned and looked at Greg, standing there, his jeans and shirt soaked with beer and water from the melted ice. His cheek turning purple from the blow. "Because, at least he admits he's a jerk. He doesn't deny who he is." She turned back to Micheal, "unlike some people I know."**

**He inhaled sharply, then nodded. "He's only going to break your heart, Lisa." He felt a hand on his shoulder, and, Chris, the host of the party, stood behind him.**

"**You need to leave, and now. Before I call the cops and have them escort you out." He looked at Greg standing there. "That is, if Greg wants to press charges." **

**Greg held Micheal's gaze for a second, then slowly shook his head. **

"**Don't need him to have a criminal record on my account." He touched his lip again, wincing as he prodded the cut. "Besides, he hits like a girl."**

**Micheal narrowed his eyes, then turned and left, a few people escorting him out, making sure he didn't try to make another run at Greg.**

**Greg watched him left, then he keeled over. "Greg!" He heard her cry, rushing to his side.**

"**I'm good, I'm good," he propped himself up on his elbows. "Just, a little headache." He stared into her gray-blue eyes. "I've had worse."**

**She frowned. You may have a concussion. A fractured jaw. You should really go to a hospital."**

**He shook his head, but Chris stepped in. The short, dark haired man looked over him. "I'd feel better if you went to a hospital."**

"**I'm in a room full of future doctors, and not one of you can figure out I don't have a concussion. And I'm talking, so I can't have a broken jaw." He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but winced at his bruised face. "I'll be fine," he whispered, softly.**

"**At least," she began slowly. "At least come back to my place. Let me get you some ice, some aspirin, and a comfy couch. You shouldn't be alone tonight."**

"**Just twist my arm." He allowed Chris and her to help him up. He leaned into her, his breath hot on her cheek. "Hope you have some booze, too. For medicinal purposes."**

**She shook her head and chuckled weekly, then, with him leaning on her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, she lead him back to her apartment.**


	35. Chapter 35

_**A/N-**_

_**So, I have to earn that M rating somehow, right?**_

_**This chapter is still in the past. Enjoy!**_

_**As always, I own nothing but the grammatical errors. DS owns House M.D., but, as always, I thank him for sharing his toys! :-)**_

_

* * *

_

_**Chapter 35**_

They were walking along the sidewalk, when he tugged on her arm. "This way," he mumbled, pain throbbing through the side of his face.

"But, my place is just a few streets down. Why are we going over there?"

"Going to my apartment instead." The swelling in his jaw slurred his voice somewhat.

"Why? My place is closer?"

He groaned, closing his eyes. "But, judging by the fact the gaggle of girls you call your roommates aren't with you, I'm guessing they're at your place."

"Yes, and?" She was confused.

"My place is quieter. Alec should be at that party, and I won't have to listen to your roommates constantly drone on and on." He swayed a bit. "Not good for my headache, you know."

She sighed, and they walked towards his place. "You mean, the headache that was caused by you running your mouth?"

He sighed. "Nope, the headache that was caused by that ssh0le driving his fist into my jaw."

They walked in silence for a bit. Her nearness should have made him happy, when, instead, it filled him with dread. Finally, he stopped. "Why?"

"Why what, Greg?" She turned to him, confused.

"Why did you come to my side? I've been nothing but an ss to you since we met?"

She shrugged. "So?"

He sighed. "Either you have a thing for self destructive bad boys..."

"Or, I think you're not as bad as you seem?" She sighed. "Greg, you have a cement wall around that could rival the Great Wall of China. You're an ss, true, and you've never failed to live up to that persona, but, there's more there than that." She looked at him, then at the house they stopped in front of. "We're here. Tell me you have ice and aspirin in there, right?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we do."

"Okay, let's get you cleaned up."

They walked inside the house, and she went straight to the kitchen, allowing him to collapse on the couch. He closed his eyes, letting the pain that was radiating out from his jaw wash over him. It really wasn't that bad. His father had given him worse beatings, but still, it hurt.

"Here." Her soft voice cut through his thoughts. He opened one eye, and he saw her stand there, a couple of pills in one hand, a glass of water in the other. "It'll help with the pain," she told him.

"Thanks." He stared at her for a second. Maybe she was right. Maybe he did have walls around him. Maybe...it wouldn't hurt for him to take them down for once. To let someone else in..."

She dropped the pills in his outstretched hand, then set the glass of water on the coffee table. When she went back to the kitchen, he popped the pills in his mouth, and he dry swallowed them. She came out a few seconds later with a bag of ice covered in a wash towel. "Here, let me," she softly pressed the ice against his jaw.

"Ow...OW!" he whined, flinching away from the ice.

"Big baby," she muttered, smirking at him.

"You didn't get punched in the jaw," he tried to sneer, but it was hard to with her holding ice to one side of his face.

"Thought you said he punched like a girl." She smirked at him. She put the ice down, and she tried to leave, but he snaked his hand out and grabbed her wrist.

"Some girls. Not you, though. Bet you have one hell of a right hook."

"Let me go, Greg," she said quietly. "Or I'll let you know how tough my right hook is."

"Where are you going?"

"You're taken care of...ice, booze, and aspirin. I was going..."

"Back to the party?" His blue eyes blazed into hers.

"Yeah."

"Sit on the couch, watch a movie with me. Please?"

She sighed, but something in his voice caused her to falter. A soft hint of a beg, how he didn't want to be alone. "Okay," she said, uncertainly. She sat down at the other end of the couch, as far away from him as she could.

He noticed this, but kept his calm. He turned the TV on, and flipped the channels until he found Elvira talking about bad horror movies on the late night Public Access. He glanced at Lisa's chest. "I bet you could give her a run for her money."

"Too bad you'll never find out," she retorted, dryly.

_Attack of the Killer Tomatoes_ was playing, and by the time it was over, she found herself curled up in his arms, laughing at Elvira's bad puns and jokes. "That was great," she laughed.

"_Toxic Avenger_ is coming on next. Double feature, you know. Stay, and watch it with me." He put his arm around her. "It'll be fun," he mumbled, nuzzling her hair.

"You had me at _Toxic Avenger_," she whispered, turning towards him. They were inches away from each other's faces.

"You're cute," he grinned goofily at her at her, rubbing her back playfully.

Something in that moment changed. The light, fun atmosphere turned into something else. Time slowed, and all she could notice was his look, his smell. From the look on his face, she figured he was feeling the same thing.

She hesitated for a moment, then slowly, she pressed her lips against his. He felt her hesitation, but he didn't force her hand. They lay there, kissing softly for a few minutes. She slowly deepened the kiss, tracing his lips with her tongue. She could taste beer, and a little blood from where he'd bitten his tongue when he was hit. And there was something else. Something unidentifiable. It was _his_ taste. And she couldn't get enough of it.

They kissed for what seemed forever. Finally, they came up for air, and he smiled weakly at her. "I've waited forever to do that," he whispered hoarsely.

"Same here," she whispered. She gazed at him for a while. "You really look like hell." The right side of his face was mottled purple and swelling slightly.

"That's what happens when I try defend my own honor. Bet ya he wouldn't have tried to hit you." He grinned, which made it look worse.

"If he had, I would have hit back," she commented dryly. "But then again, I don't have the reputation of a trouble making ssh0le."

He ran a fingertip along the lines of her face. "No, you don't. You're brilliant and hot." He looked away. "You could do a lot better than me."

She gently cupped his face with her hand, softly turning it back towards her. "I could do a lot worse than you," she whispered, pressing her lips to his again...

At that, he deepened his kiss, dragging her on his lap. He pushed his hands up under her shirt, and he felt her do the same thing to him. His jeans suddenly seemed way too small, and he felt her small frame rocking on his lap, kissing him like he was the only thing on earth that mattered. He tugged at her shirt, and she broke away long enough to allow him to pull it over her head. He inhaled sharply, catching sight of her toned body, her breasts filling out her lacy white bra nicely.

"You can give Elvira a run for her money," he moaned, tenderly cupping them in his large hands. He stroked the smooth skin of her sides, trailing down her abdomen, lightly tickling her navel, stopping at the top of her jeans. He looked up, looked deep into her eyes, asking her silently if she wanted him to continue.

Her blue gray eyes burned with arousal. She rocked her jean clad hips against his bulging erection, then she kissed him passionately, holding his face in her hands. As their tongues dueled for dominance, he unfastened the top button of her jeans, gently sliding the zipper down.

He snaked his arms around her waist, then he stood up, carrying them off the couch.

She had figured he was strong, but she wasn't prepared for him to pick her up. She yelped, breaking off the kiss, and she wound her legs around his waist, afraid to let go. She buried her face in the joint of his neck and shoulder, winding her arms around his strong shoulders.

"Don't worry," he whispered, trailing kisses along the outside of her ear, nibbling gently. "I'm not gonna let you go."

"Where are we going," she mumbled into his neck, her breath hot on his skin. Her fingers clawed at his back, gripping his t-shirt as he loped down the hall.

"Bedroom," he moaned, pressing her against a wall, shifting her upward. "Unless you want to do it right here?" He attacked her neck with a fevered passion, sure he was going to leave little "love bites" on her soft flesh. She stretched her neck out, encouraging his attentions there, moaning incoherently, pressing her breasts against his broad chest.

"Who...who said any...anything about...doing it," she gasped with every nip. Her fingers raked at his shaggy hair, his scalp tingling with each pass of her fingernails.

He moved down her neck, licking at the swells of her breasts abover her bra. "You have beautiful breasts," he whispered against them, tickling her skin with his stubble.

"How...how do you know?" she moaned. "You...you haven't seen them yet."

"Mmmmm, then let's get to my bedroom so I can." He regained his balance, and he carried her through the rest of the hall, and up the stairs.

"Do you carry all the girls to your room?" she teased, a fire building low in her abdomen. Part of her was screaming that this was a mistake, that she was only going to get hurt, but a bigger part of her wanted this. That this might be her only chance at happiness, and she should let go.

"Don't let go," he whispered. "And no, I don't carry all the girls up here." He gently lowered her to the bed. "Only the ones who are worth the effort." His nimble fingers unhooked her bra with deft touch, and he grinned at the look of annoyance mixed with pride on her face. "And so far," he kissed her lips softly. "You're the only one who's been worth the effort."

He pulled her bra down her shoulders, smiling as he freed her breasts. "Mmmm, yes. Just as I thought," he muttered as he palmed the right one, flicking the erect nipple with his calloused thumb. His eyes met hers, the pupils almost completely dilated with arousal, "perfect." He lowered his head, taking the left nipple between his lips, eliciting a soft moan from her.

He paid careful attention to her breasts, his erection becoming painful in his jeans. Her legs were still wrapped around his waist, her sock clad feet digging into his lower back. She bucked her hips with each such of her breasts, and he saw stars behind his closed eyes with each thrust. He hadn't dry humped anyone since high school, but she made him feel like a virgin.

He reluctantly pulled away from her breasts, and he began to kiss down her body, running his tongue along her abs. She reluctantly unlocked her ankles from around his waist, and he pushed slowly pushed her jeans and little lacy panties down and off her legs. She blushed, and she tried to close her legs, but he gave her a warm smile. "Don't," he whispered. "You're beautiful," he told her honestly, sitting back, his eyes taking in everything.

"You're lying."

He shook his head and smiled. "I'll admit I'm not above it, but lying right now would be telling you you're hideous, which your not." He met her eyes. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world, Lisa. And never forget that." His fingers stroked the tops of her narrow, dainty feet, twirling around her ankles and up her calves. They tickled her inner thighs as he kissed the inside of her knees, causing her to giggle. "Ticklish, huh?' he smiled against her soft, sweet, skin, moving upwards, taking time to stroke and nip her skin along the way.

Finally he reached her core, softly fingering the soft, dark curls at the joining of her legs. He nosed her slit, causing her to gasp and tense in anticipation. "No, no, no," he murmured against her, eliciting even more moans. "Relax, Lisa. Relax." Then, he kissed her in that secret of all places, feeling her heat, tasting her sweetness on his tongue.

Lisa wasn't a virgin, but she was pretty sure that no guy had ever made her feel like this. He was good, oh so good, as his tongue traced soft, lacy patterns in her. She felt the heat build until she was sure she was on fire. He found her clit, suckling it softly as he inserted a long, thin finger inside her. He stroked and sucked her gently, taking his time, not rushing things at all, and she fisted the blankets on his bed, bucking her hips into his mouth. She felt the heat within her until she couldn't take it anymore.

She cried out, a low, keen sound, bucking against him until she felt empty, sated. He felt her sweet juice pulse out, and he lapped at it, not getting enough of her ambrosia. Once he felt her go slack, he stopped, withdrawing his finger, kissing her sex softly before lifting his head.

She was sprawled out before him, her raven hair spread like a dark halo behind her head, her lithe body glistening with sweat. She was boneless and slack, her soft skin flushed with the afterglow of her orgasm.

He grinned, full of pride. It took skill to make a woman like Lisa Cuddy lose all inhibitions, and he took pride in the fact that his valkerie, his avenging angel, was completely satisfied.

He pulled off his t-shirt, and he undid his belt and fly, tugging off his jeans, freeing his rampant erection. Once naked, he lay beside her, stroking her fevered flesh. She languidly turned her head towards him, and she blushed, suddenly shy and ashamed. She tried to cover herself, but he pulled her hands away. "No," he whispered. "You're beautiful, and I want to remember this moment forever."

She smiled nervously at him, suddenly feeling anxious, feeling his erection pressing into her hip. "It's...it's been a long time...for me," she whispered.

He nodded understanding. He reached across her body, opening his nightstand drawer. "Hope you don't mind," he grinned, pulling out the foil wrapped condom. "I've never had an STD, and I don't want any little bastards roaming around.

She smiled, and she took the condom from his fingers. Then, swallowing her nervousness, she pressed his chest, making him lay on his back. she straddled his body, touching and kissing his fuzzy chest, nibbling at his hard, flat nipples, causing him to groan. She worked her way down his abs, his navel, down to his groin.

She stroked his impressive length gently. She had always wondered, and know she knew how _big_ he really was. She softly took his hardened member in the palms of her hands, running her thumbs around the bulbous head, causing him to fist his bed, arching his own neck back, groaning, "oh, GAWD, LISA!"

She cupped his heavy testicles softly, shifting her body down further on his legs. Then she licked him, taking him into her hot mouth.

"FUCK!" he cried, his hips jerking up. It took every ounce of his will power for him not to come right then and there. She swirled her tongue around the head, his fingers twisting in her hair as she worked him. Finally the torture became too much, and tugged at her raven locks, causing her to stop and look up.

"Un...unless you want this to be a one time show," he groaned. "I suggest you stop doing that and put the condom on me." His chest rose and fell rapidly, and he looked deeply within her eyes. She grinned, and she quickly sheathed him, encasing him in latex. She slowly kissed her way up his chest, along his neck and finally, softly finding his lips again.

She felt his erection, rampant and hard, flexing into her belly. She lifted her hips, and he cupped himself, positioning the head at her entrance. She put her hands on his strong shoulders, and, looking deep into his eyes, she lowered herself down on him, feeling him slide deep within her.

Tight, she was oh so tight. He closed his eyes, gripping her hips hard enough to leave bruises. "Don't move, he moaned. "Oh GAWD, Lisa, please don't move. She fit him like a glove. Though he couldn't feel it through the latex around his shaft, he knew she had to have been gloriously wet, to let him slide in that easily. He felt her wetness drip down on his balls.

Her eyes were shut tight, and she was breathing rabidly, her fingernails impaling his shoulders. She was full, oh so full. Slowly, sinfully slowly he began thrusting up, moans and cries escaping her lips. After a few fumbles, they found a gentle rhythm. "Lisa," he moaned, one hand palming her ass, the other running through her raven curls. "Lisa, look at me," he moaned. She whimpered softly, but opened her eyes, and she stared deeply in his crystal blue eyes. The heat that had begun to build up in her womb became almost painful, and she let out a low, wailing cry. He nosed the fragrant valley between her breasts, moaning her name over and over again. She felt herself tense up, and she dug her nails deeper into his flesh, leaving deep red scratches. "Greg, oh god GRRRRRREG!" she cried, the heat rushing out of her, her inner walls tensing, gripping him almost painfully.

He rolled her on to her back, their limbs intertwining. He thrust hard, feeling a tension building up from his abdomen into his balls. "Oh, god, Lisa! LIIIISA!" he cried, feeling the painful pressure deep withing his balls release, and he saw stars, collapsing on top of her, the strength in his arms giving out as he pulsed within her.

For what seemed like forever, they lay there, catching their breath. His hand cradled her head, his face buried in her neck, his breath hot.

"Mmmm," she intoned, her eyes closed. Her fingers making soft patterns along the skin of his back. She couldn't say anything else, her mind still on the mind shattering orgasm he had just given her.

He rolled over on his back, carrying her with him. Her dark hair spilled out over his chest, his eyes still closed. "Love you, too," he murmured, sleepily, relishing the warmth of her body against his. He relaxed, letting sleep take him away.


	36. Chapter 36

**_Chapter 36_**

**_****************************************************************************************************************************  
_**

**She awoke to the sound of his snoring. At first, she didn't know where she was, only that her face was resting on skin, and she was naked. She opened her eyes, and she was curled up under a warm blue blanket, her limbs intertwined with his. She forced herself to look up, and she realized she was in bed with the infamous Greg House. Then, the memories came flooding back, and she smiled, sadly.**

**He snorted in his sleep, drawing her closer to him. She listened to the thump thump of his heart, allowing herself to smile.**

**The sex had been incredible. Just remembering it made her chest tighten and a warmth flood her lower abdomen. He was an incredible, considerate lover. He had made her feel like no one had made her feel before.**

**Then she realized that he was leaving in the morning.**

**And there was no room in his life for her.**

**She disentangled herself from him slowly. She looked at his handsome, aristocratic face for a few moments, so peaceful in sleep. She burned that image into her mind; she wanted to carry that image of him forever. **

**She slowly began to gather her things, and she dressed, reluctantly. She realized that her shirt was downstairs. She didn't want to walk down there in her bra, so she looked around the room, spotting a black t-shirt in the corner, hanging off the floor lamp by his bookshelf. **

**She slipped the cool, cotton t-shirt on, pulling it up to her nose. It smelled like him, and that made her smile. She glanced around the room, her eyes falling back on his sleeping form.**

**They never would have made it. She knew that. They were young and stubborn and impetuous. They'd flame out in a year or so, but she still felt horrible that she was just leaving him in the middle of the night. **

**She spotted his organic chem text laying on the by the bookshelf, and she opened it. She picked up the pen laying beside it, and she bit her bottom lip. What to say, what to write?**

**Finally, she scribbled a simple _Thank you for the tutoring. I'll take these memories, and hold them close for the rest of my life. I'm sure we'll meet again. ~Lisa_**

**Blinking back tears that threatened to fall, she slipped out of the apartment, leaving him sleeping deeply, alone.**

* * *

**He awoke the next morning, a smile on his face. He reached over, then realized the bed was cold and empty. He sat up, more alert. He had been hoping for a morning delight, a continuation of where they left off last night, but she was gone. **

**The realization that she left in the middle of the night sank his heart. He fell back against the pillows feeling very alone.**

**Later that day, he was tossing his books into a cardboard box. He hadn't called her, hadn't talked to anyone. He packed, his blue eyes clouded with hurt. He saw that his organic chem book was open. He saw her message scrawled in the cover.**

**At first, he didn't know what to feel. Anger, hurt, warmth at seeing her writing, they all flooded his senses.**

**But, he was his father's son, and anger won. He chucked the book across the room, breaking a glass framed autographed poster of Eric Clapton.**

**Alec came rushing up the stairs at the sound of the crash. "What's going on, dude?"**

**Greg shook his head, "nothing, man. Absolutely nothing." He looked at his friend, his gaze cold. "The sooner I get the hell out of this town, the happier I'll be." He shoved some more books in the box. **

**Alec walked over to the mess, and he picked up the book. He turned to Greg, his gray gaze full of concern. "Oh man, I'm sor..."**

"**Don't say it!" He snatched the book out of Alec's hand. "Just fucking don't say it. It's not a fucking problem anymore." He crammed it in the box, and he took it downstairs, loading it in his car.**

**Alec followed him out, and he watched him load up his car.**

**After all the boxes were loaded; Greg was leaving the furniture behind. They stood there, silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. Then, Alec dug into his pocket, and he handed Greg a wad of cash. "Found a buyer for your bike. You got five hundred bucks out of it. Enjoy your new life."**

**He went into the apartment, and Greg got into his car, wanting to leave the memories behind.**

_**A/N-**_

_**Just a short little chapter to wrap things up in the past. That's right. This part of the fic is done! Sorry it was so short...**_

_**There is still a bit more in the present, so stay tuned...:-)**_

_**Thanks, and I hope you all enjoyed!**_


	37. Chapter 37

_**A/N – Check back on chapter 32 for a refresher for this one. We are back in the present, right after that chapter :-)**_

_

* * *

_

**She arrived back in Princeton late. She stepped off the plane, and she actually glanced around, half hoping to see him. She actually wanted to see him waiting for her, standing there, his eyes blazing, watching for her.**

**She'd thought a lot about what she and Alec had talked about, and she realized she had been planning on running, again. Every time she tasted personal happiness, she felt the need to turn tail, to run from it. She felt like she had to force it to crash and burn before it could hurt her.**

**Now it was time to change that.**

"**Need a ride home?" Wilson's voice jarred her from her thoughts, and she shook her head. "No. I'm just going to catch a cab."**

**Wilson nodded. "Okay. See you tomorrow." He headed to his car, parked in the lot, leaving her alone.**

"**'Bye, Wilson," she called after him, smiling softly. Then walked to the front of the airport, where the yellow cars were lined up. She climbed in one, and she gave them the address.**

**The cab pulled up to a familiar apartment building, and she stepped out of the cab, tugging at her bag. She looked up at the building, feeling a bit of trepidation, then she walked in.**

**She stared at the brass 221B, a million thoughts running through her mind. The most frequent was run away! This can only end badly.**

**She swallowed her fear, and she knocked, softly at first, then louder. She waited a few moments, nervousness building in her belly. He didn't answer. She knocked again, and still, no answer. Sighing, and feeling foolish, she turned around and left.**

**And she bumped into him.**

**He'd run down to the small liquor store around the block to buy a bottle of scotch, and he hadn't expected her to be waiting at his doorstep. "L...Cuddy," he greeted her with a nod, no smile. He had forgotten that she had been coming back into town today. **

"**G...House," she nodded back. She scooted back, allowing him to unlock his door. "Sorry, I should have call..." She was cut off by his lips covering hers, and his tongue invaded her mouth. She tensed, then she allowed herself to melt into the kiss. He broke it off as quickly as he started it, and he slipped inside the apartment, placing the bottle on the kitchen counter.**

**He began rooting around in his cabinet for glasses, and she stepped inside, placing her bag by the door. They stood in silence for a while, each not wanting to say anything to the other, when finally, she cleared her throat.**

"**I ran into an old friend," she smirked nervously, teasing him, trying to draw a reaction from him.**

**He arch an eyebrow. "Another perk of being Dean of Medicine, servicing old employees. Where do I sign up?"**

**She barked out a nervous laugh. "The only employee I service is you." She sat down on the arm of the couch. "I ran into Alec."**

"**Alex?" He frowned, wrinkling. "Why does that sound familiar?"**

"**Not Alex. Alec," she corrected. She played with the hem of her coat. "We talked about college."**

"**What about it?" He poured her a glass of scotch and he handed it to her.**

"**Just, sharing stories, you know." She downed he scotch. "I'm sorry," she blurted out.**

**He froze. "It was a long time ago."**

"**I know. She put the glass down, and she took off her coat, tossing it on the couch. "I can't promise you that it won't happen again,"**

"**Cuddy," he stepped closer to her. He sighed, "Lisa." He nuzzled her neck, drinking in her scent. "I don't want promises. Promises can be broken." His stubble tickled her throat. "I want you." He found her lips again, and he pressed her against the couch arm. "I only want you."**

**She smiled, kissing him back. She wasn't running away this time. She melted into him, and they fell into a heap on the couch.**

* * *

**(The Next Day)**

"**You charged nearly six thousand dollars to the hospital expense account!" she shrieked. It wasn't a question; it was an accusation. From the smug look on his face, it was an accurate assumption. She stood up at her desk, rubbing her forehead with her fingers, trying not to kill the doctor in front of her.**

**He tightened the grip on his cane, smirking. "I was lonely."**

"**You charged a strip club visit to the hospital expense account in Cameron's name?" she asked again, trying not to throttle the smug son of a bitch.**

"**I wasn't the only one who went," he pouted, whining. "Chase, Taub, and Kutner ****seemed to have a good time."**

"**You can't charge a strip club to the hospital expense account! You don't even know the account numbers. Only members of the Budget Committee know that account information. That and Accounting. How did you..." Her eyes widened. "You hacked into the system?" She slumped back in her chair, closing her eyes.**

"**God no," he smirked. "I just blackmailed Doug on the committee.**

"**What?"**

**He grinned and shrugged. "I just had my P.I. Look into members of the committee. He was the only one cheating on his wife." He paused a second. "Oh, yeah, and I promised Debbie in Accounting that I'd set her up with Wilson." He grinned. "Gonna need your help on that."**

"**The six thousand dollars is coming out of your check." Her voice brokered no argument.**

"**What! You can't do that!" He was stunned, and he nearly lost his balance.**

"**Watch me," She powered up her computer. "And, you just added an extra three hours of clinic duty. A week."**

**He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "And, you owe Cameron an apology."**

**His eyes widened, and he clenched his jaw. Finally, he nodded, tightly. "Fine. To everything except the apology. She knew what she was getting into."**

"**Okay." He turned around, and he started to leave. She cupped her chin in her hand, smirking as she watched him pause as his hand touched the door. "Dinner, my place. Eightish, unless I get a patient."**

**She smiled, warm and genuine, and she nodded. "I'll be there."**

* * *

"**You're happy."**

"**Your tie is ugly."**

"**Stop deflecting," Wilson admonished. "You're happy!"**

"**Cuddy just yelled at me," he grinned. "For charging a six grand night at a strip club to the hospital." He explained as he limped to the cafeteria side by side with his best friend.**

"**You did what?" Wilson's voice rose as his eyes widened. **

**House smirked. "And I did it in Cameron's name."**

"**Why hasn't she killed you, yet?"**

"**She's plotting her revenge right now."**

"**I was talking about Cuddy.**

**House grinned. "So was I." They entered the cafeteria, and House gave one of his rare smiles. "All is right with the world." He paused and shrugged. "Okay, it'll be right, as soon as you pay for lunch."**

**Wilson shook his head, then he got in line. Everything was "normal."**

**The End**

* * *

**_Final Author's Note -_  
**

_**I just want to take a moment to thank everyone of you for reading this! This is the longest (and one of the first) fic I've written! I didn't really have a plan when writing this, and it shows, but I'm so happy you stuck with me, through my trial and error! I've learned my lesson, and now, I plan my fics before I write them – LOL!!**_

_**Again, thank you so much! I really enjoyed writing this! It has been a lot of fun!**_

_**~ Imnotcrazy, aka ImNC, aka Amanda :-)**_


End file.
